Onward with Bravery (Forward with Courage sequel)
by RavenclawRae1918
Summary: "Nothing is black and white, nothing's 'us or them.' But then there are magical, beautiful things in the world. There's incredible acts of kindness and bravery, and in the most unlikely of places, and it gives you hope." -Dave Matthews
1. Time Traveling and Do-Overs

**"So many doors, how did you choose**

 **So much to gain so much to lose**

 **So many things got in your way**

 **No time today, no time today"**

 **-Danny Elfman; Alice's Theme**

 **Time Traveling and Do-Overs**

When Andy blinked awake, she sat up and yawned loudly, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. When she opened her eyes up fully, she froze. She was sitting in an alley.

She looked down at her hands. They were far too small.

So were her legs.

She looked around in terror and confusion when she realized she had something on her back. She slung a standard, navy blue backpack off her shoulders and cringed when she noticed how large it was in comparison to her own size. Inside she found plenty of her own belongings but sitting on top was a neatly folded letter with her name on the front in her papa's loopy scrawl. She snatched it up and unfolded it with shaking hands.

 _My dear granddaughter Andraste,_

 _I told you that I so desperately wished that I could change the events of the first war against Lord Voldemort but that my body wouldn't be able to sustain that level of magic. Funny enough, you might be the only person that possibly could. Know that I love you more than anything in this world and you have made me more than proud but if we are to survive, I need you to fix what I so arrogantly ignored the first time around. Bring this letter to me at Hogwarts, you know how to get past the wards. I will recognize my own magical signature that is on this letter._

 _I must warn you though, child. Every decision we make from here on out shapes a brand new future so tread carefully; step on a butterfly today, kill a million tomorrow. Also, be strong. I know you are already but this time is much different than where you are from so use caution and never let them see you break._

 _I love you so dearly, my child._

 _Forever yours,_

 _Papa_

 _June 18th, 1996_

After a quick poking about in the backpack, she realized that he had sent her with the darkness powder from Fred, all of the texts that she had received for Christmas, and the blue tulip from her papa along with some of her own texts and a few other personal items. Some of her outfits gifted to her from Aunt Cissy were inside as well. Papa must have done an Enlarging spell on the bag o make everything fit so neatly. Around her neck was still the dog charm necklace and on her wrist was the Potter family bracelet. She was in the same set of black and silver robes over dark wash jeans and a loose silver blouse that she had been in during the fight at the Ministry, just in a shrunken version that fit her new body. She sighed and shook her head before slinging the bag over her shoulder, using her magic to shrink it down as well to fit her better. Just as she went to exit the alley, she heard a soft mewling noise. She looked down and beside her was a small kitten with was solid black with large amber eyes and she instantly recognized her. She smiled softly at Amiya and bent down to scratch behind her ears before she wandered out of the alley cautiously. People walked past her without paying her any attention and she slipped into the crowd, ducking her small head to blend in better. When she came upon a window that had a bunch of TVs, she stepped out of the stream of people to look up at them and to check her reflection in the glass. She could barely peer in to the window much to her irritation but the TVs were showing a news channel. She observed it with curiosity until it showed that day's weather and she saw the date.

 _June 18th, 1964_

She resisted the urge to shriek.

She slipped into the next alley and Apparated to Hogsmeade that instant, gathering a startled Amiya up in her arms, feeling royally pissed off and confused. Although she was grateful that, for as much as she could tell, her magic hadn't lessened or in any way changed. She landed in between two of the buildings off the main street and when she peeked out, it was all quiet along the road so she slipped out of the small alley and headed for the gate. As she walked along, she slung her backpack off her shoulder and tucked the kitten into it so she wouldn't lose her but kept the top of the bag unzipped. She passed a few of the regular patrons of The Three Broomsticks as well as some of the citizens of the small town but none of them paid any attention to the young girl. She made it to the gate, taking a lot longer than usual due to her abnormally tiny legs, and stared up at the structure with squinted eyes. She pushed her magic out to sense the strength of the wards protecting the grounds and was surprised to find that they were incredibly weak in comparison to how strong they were in her time. She rolled her eyes, making a mental note to bring that up to her papa when she saw him along with a good many other things, and then picked her way around the wards. She slipped through the small hole she made before closing it back up and adding a bit of extra strength to it. She then turned and sighed at the impeccably long distance from the gate to the castle door, and began her trek.

She marveled at how similar things were in 1964 as they were 1996 but for some reason, the whole world didn't look as dark or bleak as it had. Voldemort's reign of terror was like pollution; it had clogged even the airs with his cruelty and malice. She saw no students by the time she made it to the castle doors and assumed it was safe to say that they had all left for the summer already. That meant that finding Papa would be that much easier as he rarely left his office except for meals to visit with the staff or just randomly every now and then during the summer holidays. She slipped inside and immediately headed to her papa's office. Thankfully, she ran into no one but a few confused ghosts who just shook their heads and continued on their way. When she came upon Gregory, he looked rather confused as to what such a young child was doing in the castle but her patience was wearing very thin and she merely flicked her wrist, effectively moving the affronted gargoyle to the side then racing past him up the spiral stairs. She busted into the office and startled Papa, for once in her life, as his head shot up to look at her. Her small frame heaved with her panting and she resisted the urge to hit the ground and take a nap, and instead she marched up to her papa and silently handed him the letter. She then turned and clambered up into one of the armchairs and pulled Amiya out of her bag so she could hold her. She watched Papa's eyes fly across the page and watched his brow furrow in confusion as he read and no doubt felt his magical signature all over the page. When he finished, he laid the letter down on the desk and sighed, leaning back in his chair and observing her closely.

"So I assume you are Andraste?" he asked her. She nodded and said, "Yes but you always called me Andy unless I was in trouble."

"And you're how old?" he asked her, still looking at her tiny form in confusion. She hugged Amiya tighter.

"I was supposed to turn twenty-years-old on October 31st. I'm not sure how old you made me," she told him indignantly, doing her best to politely convey her irritation. He smiled lightly and shook his head.

"So you are my granddaughter? That means I have children," he stated.

"No, not necessarily," she corrected him. "You adopted me in 1981 when I was five years old because you found out who my parents were."

"And who were your parents?" he asked her curiously.

"Bellatrix Lestrange and Tom Riddle Jr." Papa's face froze and he sat back in his chair again.

"And you say I adopted you?" he asked her, trying to piece all the information together. She sighed and launched head-first into the tale of how she came into being, her adoption, her childhood, her school years, and the last few events that led to her being sent back in time.

"I'm as confused as you are about why I am so young but I assumed you would know," she said with a shrug as she crossed her legs and let Amiya settle in the little nest they made.

"You appear to be roughly four years old and if that is true, I have a good indication as to why I would reverse your age and send you to this precise year. You say you were close with Harry, the son of James Potter?" he asked her curiously. She nodded slowly, catching on to his implication.

"Oh no, no no no," she repeated, shaking her head vehemently. "I will not live with arrogant douchebag."

"Language," he warned. A few of the portraits snored with laughter while more than a few shouted cries of indignation at the little girl's colourful language. She grinned sheepishly at him and he shook his head with a smile. "I would just raise you in the castle as I apparently did the first time but if your mission really is to change everything, then you need to be out in the world. You need to gather allies and information, and you may only physically be four but you are obviously still twenty as far as your mental capability. The Potter family will make sure you meet all of the major players in the coming war from what you've told me. They're your best bet."

"Fine, fine. Maybe I can start with James himself. That would solve a large handful of problems right there," she muttered to herself, running her tiny finger through her thick black curls.

"Unfortunately, the Potter family is on vacation to Paris right now but they will return in about a week or so. I assume you'll have no issue with staying in the castle until then?" he asked her. A thought popped into her head and she sat up straight in excitement.

"Nope, I don't mind one bit because there's something I gotta do while I'm here," she told him with a large smile. "I need to find my Grandfather first."

"Your Grandfather?" Papa asked curiously. She nodded as she hopped down off the chair.

"Salazar Slytherin is my great-great-something-great-grandfather on my father's side. He haunts the castle and if I want to go see my basilisk, I have to find him first since he technically hasn't signed over ownership of her to me yet," she explained as she tucked Amiya back into the bag much to the kitten's indignation. Papa stared at her with a surprised expression but surprise seemed to be an understatement.

"I'm sorry, the basilisk is your's?" he asked her as he massaged his temples.

"Yep, in my time, we had set up a schedule that we would release her into the Forbidden Forest every six months at a certain time so she could hunt. She's incredibly gentle. Before I was sent here, she was used as a guard dog of sorts. She patrolled the forest for us so Lord Voldemort couldn't come at us from the forest side," Andy explained as her papa looked at her like she had utterly lost her mind.

"You released the basilisk into the forest and I agreed to this?" he asked her uncertainly. She gestured to her head, offering her memories if he didn't believe her but he shook his head. "I will just take your word for it. Things must have really changed."

"Yeah, you have no idea," Andy murmured as she turned and made her way out of the office. She had no clue as to where she should start searching for the Founders but settled on making her way to the deserted wing of the castle they were typically in. As she walked, she took Amiya back out and told her, "Go see if you can find Grandfather. I'm going to go search the usual corridor."

Amiya meowed back her understanding before leaping away and making her way down the corridor and turning the corner. Andy wandered for a good hour before she heard Amiya's loud and obnoxious meowing along with four very familiar voices.

"This bloody feline has definitely been following us, Rowena. It hasn't stopped meowing since we first saw it!" a very irritated male voice complained. A calm, cool female voice replied with, "You're being absolutely ridiculous."

"Yeah, Salazar, it's just a stupid cat. Don't be so foolish," a cocky male voice added and Andy could hear the annoying grin in his voice already. She rolled her eyes and turned the corner to hear Grandfather shoot something back at Godric as Helga begin cooing over a rather pissed off Amiya, who wasn't too fond of the dearly departed.

"That would be mine," she told them coolly as she scooped up her kitten. The four Founders froze as they realized they had been seen until Godric rolled his eyes and whispered, "She's just a child, no need to get so freaked out."

"Shut it, Godric. I know exactly who you are," she snapped back. The four of them looked at her in shock. "Merlin, you're no less annoying now than you used to be."

"Pardon me," Godric exclaimed indignantly but Rowena cut him off, looking at the girl curiously and asking, "Have we met before?"

"For me, yes. For you, no," Andy replied cryptically. A light went off in Rowena's eyes but the other three looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"You're from the future," Rowena stated, eying her curiously. "What is one so young doing here?"

"Well it's a long story but in my time, I'm actually about to be twenty years old and I was the Headmistress of Hogwarts," she told them as she waltzed closer and jumped up onto the bench tucked into the alcove, scooting all the way back so her back was against the wall and she could cross her short legs, Amiya settling into the little nest it made. The four Founders looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"How can you be not even twenty years of age and the Headmistress?" Godric asked incredulously, clearly thinking she had lost her sense.

"Well, because my adopted grandfather was Albus Dumbledore who was called away to search for recruits in the war against Voldemort and so the leadership position fell to me. Not to mention my bloodline is marvelous and Papa often said that my magic far outweighed his own therefore I was the obvious choice," she explained to them. When their expressions hadn't changed, she launched into a full retelling of her background. "In the year 1976, Lord Voldemort took one of his female followers by the name of Bellatrix Lestrange neé Black and impregnated her. No one knew of their actions and the Death Eaters, which are what Lord Vodemort's followers are called in my day, believed Bellatrix's pregnancy to have been caused by her husband Rodolphus. The child was born on Halloween night, 1976 and she was named Andraste Philomela Lestrange. For five years, she was kept in the Lestrange Manor and away from the public. No one outside of the Death Eaters even knew the Lestrange couple had a child. Then, on the night of her fifth birthday, in the year 1981, two men broke into the Manor and stole away the child as her parents were being arrested and charged for the torture of a couple who had fought against them in the Order of the Phoenix, which is the rebel group that fights Voldemort. The child was taken before Professor Dumbledore and he could sense the magic pulsing in her veins and realized there was more to the child than what he could see. He took her, understanding that the safest place for her was in the castle. But, due to the people she had been around her entire five years, she distrusted Professor Dumbledore and instead clung to the Potions Professor and ex-Death Eater, Professor Snape. For three years, Professor Dumbledore escorted the girl to Azkaban to visit her parents. Her mother still doted on her, even in her crazed state, but her father grew more and more agitated until one day, he burst his anger out on his child, calling her all manner of horrible things. It was that day that the child realized that they were not the family she wanted and instead, allowed herself to be adopted into the Dumbledore line. She spent every single day of every year of her life until she was twelve inside the castle. As such, she one day came across a particular ghost she had never seen before. He was arrogant and had the most annoying voice the child had possibly ever heard and she told him as such. He was offended and then began to try to protect his fragile ego but was stopped when three other ghosts joined them. The child knew very well who they all were, particularly because the portrait of the grumpy ghost was the one that guarded the stairs to her own chambers. That day, when I was seven, was the first day I met you lot."

"Pardon me, did you just refer to me as grumpy?" Grandfather asked in genuine shock, unused to anyone insulting him in any way.

"At least you didn't get called arrogant and annoying," Godric mumbled, pouting from where he hovered at the back of the group.

"Continue on, child," Rowena told her with a patient smile, although Andy could tell that she was simply stopping herself from smacking them because they were supposed to be listening to a story.

"That first day, I performed complex bits of magic both without a wand and without a spell, which practically put all of you on your asses. Because of this, you lot escorted me back to Papa and asked him what in the world was going on and asked who I was. Papa sent me to my room and told me to not come back down until he told me it was okay. When I did come back down, you," she gestured to Grandfather, "were watching me funny. It was then that I found out that you were my great-great-Merlin knows how many greats-great-Grandfather but I still believed myself to be the child of the Lestrange couple so I assumed the Black family was a line of your descendants. I spent practically every day that I wasn't in the Potions classroom with you, learning new magic and wizarding customs that you felt was appropriate for the heir of Slytherin to know. You even gave me your pet basilisk in my fifth year."

"I did what," Grandfather asked in a monotone voice that made Andy smile.

"I named her Æthelinda, but we called her Æthel for short," she told him, his outline blurring slightly as the shock hit him. The very old ghost was being forced to come to terms with a lot of things he never believed to be possible. For added effect, she tacked on, "You even grew to accept my protégé-of-sorts, Hermione, who is a Muggleborn student."

"Impossible!" he exclaimed, his deep voice wobbling as he became almost completely invisible. She nodded solemnly, hiding her smirk.

"Unfortunately, she was a Gryffindor but honestly, I always believed that she should have been placed in Ravenclaw. She was too intelligent for that raucous din they call the Tower. Utterly ridiculous in my opinion," she continued, using the opportunity to take a jab at Godric.

"Well I never!" the affronted spirit exclaimed, staring at the girl like she had just reached out and slapped him.

"So what House were you in then?" Rowena asked as Godric sulked and Salazar slowly regained his shape as he came to accept what the girl, his granddaughter, had told him.

"Ravenclaw," Andy said proudly, stroking Amiya's fur softly. Rowena nodded approvingly.

"Well at least we can be grateful that you weren't a Gryffindor," Grandfather mumbled, earning him a smile from Andy.

"So, I have a question," Godric said as he suddenly floated back towards the very rude little time traveler.

"Yes?" she asked, giving him an exasperated look, expecting a ridiculous question.

"Why are you here?"


	2. Family Life and A New House

**"She'll show you what she's made of  
Yeah she's comin' for ya  
She's gonna try to break ya  
Yeah she's comin' for ya  
No, she don't mess around."**

 **-Cage the Elephants; Mess Around**

 **Family Life and Round Two**

The week passed too quickly for Andy's liking and soon, she found herself perched on her usual spot on Papa's desk, awaiting the Potters. She had spent the week mainly with the Founders, especially once the staff realized that she was far too intelligent to be just a four-year-old. The only person who was informed of who she really was, or where she was really from, was Professor McGonagall obviously. She had been shocked quite a bit when she found out the truth but it made more sense to her than the lie that the Headmaster had been spreading around; that Andy was the daughter of his bastard child from his youth and after his child and spouse had passed, custody of their daughter fell to him. That sounded fine and dandy until anyone actually talked to the toddler and realized that there was no way in any reality that she could only be but four years old.

"What if they don't like me?" Andy whispered to her papa, watching the door like a rapt hawk. Papa chuckled and shook his head at the very childish question.

"They're going to adore you, my dear." Just as he finished speaking, there came a knock at the door to the office. Andy froze as her Papa politely asked them to enter. Professor McGonagall led a family of three over the threshold and over to the chairs lined up in front of the large desk. Andy watched them closely and the woman gave her a soft, motherly smile. Andy felt a piece of her warm up to the woman immediately, never having had a mother herself.

"Hello Professor, it's good to see you again," the man greeted papa, nodding to him cordially as he sat in his chair and allowed his son to clamber up on top of his lap.

"And you, Charlus. I trust your vacation was pleasant," her papa inquired causing Andy to about twitch. She wanted so badly to get to the real conversation.

"Ah, yes. Little James here was a rascal at first due to the unfamiliar scenery but he calmed down after a day or two of exploring," Charlus replied with a fond smile directed towards the toddler on his lap.

"As most children can be at that age, I suppose," Papa agreed with a knowing smile. Andy wanted to roll her eyes but thankfully, it was Mrs. Potter who changed the speed of the conversation.

"And speaking of young children, I see that you seem to have acquired your own," she stated, looking at Papa curiously but still giving Andy the same comforting smile. Papa cleared his throat and settled down for business, warding the room against eavesdroppers before smiling at the Potters.

"I am sure that you, along with the rest of the wizarding world, has heard that I have gained custody of my illegitimate child's daughter after a terrible accident left him and his partner dead," he began. Sadness crossed the Potters' faces as they nodded slowly. Papa smiled at them even wider and said, "That, my dears, was a lie."

"Now, Professor," Charlus began with a disapproving expression. Papa held up his hand with the same smile but Andy could sense that he was having fun messing with the poor family.

"What I mean to say is that Andy isn't in anyway related to me. The story was made-up to explain her existence," Papa explained. The two adults immediately calmed down, thinking about what he had said.

"What do you mean, Professor?" Mrs. Potter said carefully, looking at the old man cautiously. Papa looked over at Andy and gestured for her to take center stage. She looked at him, annoyed that he was making her speak, before she turned and fully faced the Potters.

"My name is Andraste Philomela Slytherin, formerly Lestrange-Riddle, and I was born on October 31st, 1976 to Bellatrix Lestrange and Tom Riddle Jr., more commonly known as Lord Voldemort," she told them. The first shock to them was the strong, aged voice coming out of her tiny body. Then her words registered and they both looked at her incredulously.

"Pardon me? How is that possible?" Mrs. Potter asked her, eyes narrowed. It was then that Andy remembered that she had been a Slytherin and Andy knew that her no-nonsense attitude was going to be perfect.

"I was raised by Bellatrix and her husband Rodolphus for the first five years of my life. On the night of my fifth birthday, they were away, torturing an innocent couple who defied the Dark Lord. It was that night that two spies for Professor Dumbledore here broke into the manor and whisked me away to Hogwarts. I spent the rest of my childhood there. I visited the people I still considered parents almost every month in Azkaban before Rodolphus inevitably found out the truth of my conception and raged at me, effectively pushing me toward the professor, who became my grandfather from that day on. We used the same lie then that we used this time simply because people are always gullible enough to believe it. I grew up in the castle, raised by the staff and the Founders, whose spirits still roam the castle. It was revealed to me by Salazar that I was descended from him, making me the last heir to the House of Slytherin. It was from him and the other three Founders that I learned proper etiquette and history of the wizarding world. My best friends were Fred and George Weasley as well as Hermione Granger. But of course, everything changed in my fifth year when the child of your son, a child whose name is Harry Potter, and his two friends decided they wanted to bust into the Chamber of Secrets and kill the basilisk before it harmed anything else, as it had already petrified a cat. Long story short, I assisted them to begin with because I didn't need three second years getting themselves killed on my watch but then my Grandfather, Salazar, showed me how to release the basilisk from Lord Voldemort's control, tying the basilisk to myself instead and instantly, she stopped wreaking havoc. I also freed Sirius Black from Azkaban and cleared his name in my sixth year after he was wrongfully charged in 1981 and I won the Tri-Wizard Tournament in my seventh year. But I was kidnapped at the very end of the tournament by Lord Voldemort and by that point I had long since figured out that he was my true father. He kept me with him, subdued with a mild love potion to make me loyal to him, for five months. I then became incredibly depressed and stopped eating, which led to my head clearing up for the first time in months. I managed to send a message to the Order, a rebel group fighting against the Dark Lord, and they managed to come break me out. We waged a few more campaigns against the Dark forces until finally, Papa, Professor McGonagall, and Alastor Moody had to leave Britain to go meet with our allies in other countries. It was then that leadership of the Order as well as the position of Headmistress was handed to me at the age of nineteen. All was well until June of 1996 when the Order was attacked and my lover was killed in action. That was the day that I was sent back in time in order to fix everything before it ever happens." James was watching her with large, doe-brown eyes as she told her story but Mr. and Mrs. Potter looked shocked beyond comprehension.

"You're from the future," Mrs. Potter stated plainly.

"We have a grandson?" Mr. Potter asked brightly. All the females looked at him like he had lost his absolute mind before rolling their eyes and ignoring him. Trust a man, especially a Potter, to focus on the wrong piece of information.

"Yes, Mrs. Potter, I'm from the future. As proof, you will notice that we are wearing the same bracelet." Mrs. Potter looked at Andy's wrist then looked back at her own with curious eyes and, sure enough, saw that the girl was wearing the Potter family bracelet.

"So why are we here then, Professor?" Mr. Potter asked the older man, snapping out of his grandad moment.

"I am so glad you have asked, Mr. Potter," Papa replied, his usual smile in place. "I need a family for young Andy here to be a part of."

"Wait… You want us to take her in?" Mr. Potter asked, tilting his head a bit as his brow furrowed in confusion.

"That is exactly right, Mr. Potter. Andy needs to blend in and she needs a foot up in the world this time. Both of you come from incredibly old and powerful families and no one would think twice if you two adopted an orphan witch, as that does sound like something you two would do," Papa explained carefully. Mr. Potter fell silent as he mulled over the information but once again, it was Mrs. Potter who answered for him.

"Of course we will take her. Whatever will help her protect our future," the older woman said with a nod as she smiled at Andy. Besides, she had always wanted a daughter. "I mean, the girl is from my family anyways and therefore shares an awful resemblance to myself, which will make this all so much easier. We could go so far as to say that she was Harry's twin but she was rather sickly after she was born and we feared she wouldn't make it so we informed no one of her presence."

"That appears to be a most excellent plan," the old man responded with a smile. "I can have all the records changed this evening with none the wiser, if you so wish."

"That would be a great deal helpful, Professor," Mr. Potter said with a nod, curiously studying his new daughter. Her hair was wildly curly and pitch black, the same color as James', but instead of hazel eyes, she had ice blue like his Dorea. She was quiet and watched everything with an intelligence that would've shocked him had he not known who she truly was. "Is there anything else or shall we be taking young Andy home with us now?"

"Actually, just one final piece of information while Andy gathers her bag," the Headmaster said as he looked at the little girl and gestured to an almost hidden door. She rolled her eyes and hopped off the desk, and wandered over to the door far too gracefully. She slipped inside and the second the door closed, the Headmaster looked back at Andy's new surrogate family. "You need to know that Andy's magic is nothing to play around with. She must be allowed to use it regularly because if it gets pent up, she will explode. Even small things like calling a book to herself from a high shelf or dressing herself with magic is okay. You must also keep in mind that it will take her a good while to settle into her new age role. She can act the part perfectly in public no doubt but at home, you must remember that she is truly nineteen years old and even then still far too mature for her age. You mustn't confine her, at least not in the privacy of your own home. Also, it would be best for her to decide when to tell James. It is her secret, after all."

"Yes, Professor," the Potters chorused in agreement. Just then, the door reopened and Andy came back out with her backpack on. Mrs. Potter smiled at the young girl as she stood and made her way over to her, kneeling down before her to look her in her eyes.

"Are you ready to go home now, love?" she asked her new daughter. Andy hesitated slightly. She had never had a mother, as she no longer counted Bellatrix. She never had a real family at all. And yet, she was never sad about it, she had never longed for a family. All she knew was seclusion to the castle, other than the few times she decided to leave and go do something. She bit her lip and her eyes were focused on the hand that Mrs. Potter was offering her. Did she really want to go down this path? If she took that hand, everything was going to change. As it was, her future, her time, had already been wiped clean simply because of her appearance in this time. What else was she going to change by taking Mrs. Potter's hand? Would she be able to stop the Dark Lord this time, before so many innocent people were killed? Would she possibly even be able to save Sirius as well as James and Lily Potter? She bit her lip yet again before she straightened her back and dropped her shoulders back, bringing her to her full height as she confidently lowered her hand into the one in front of her and replied, "Yes, Mum. I'm ready to go home."

Time in the Potter house seemed to move quickly in Andy's opinion. Always full of something, never boring or slow. Dorea Potter was a part of the wizarding society's Noble Ladies Club, which was basically a tea party she attended once every two weeks and chatted about the events in their world as well as even the Muggle world from time to time. When Andy was seven, she began attending these parties with her mother which caused an uproar in the gossip circles. No one had seen the fabled and fatally ill Potter girl until the day of her first NLC tea party and was therefore the highlight of the afternoon. She passed from person to person and she won them over one by one just like she and her mum had planned. As Dorea Potter had so kindly pointed out, having the noble ladies on her side gave her an advantage as no one ever paid attention to anything they said or did yet said so much in their presence because, in most families, women were viewed as decorations and nothing more. So, when the ladies went to an NLC tea party, all the information they had gathered from their husbands, fathers, or brothers made its way around the room and before the end of the afternoon, every woman was well-aware. Dorea knew how important reliable information was to the mission her daughter had at hand and therefore sacrificed the child's anonymity and gave her something to use. Of course, Andy was an absolute natural. She had mastered being just childishly angelic as well as mature and modest that she no longer stuck out like a bright flashing sign. All of the ladies were absolutely entranced by the little girl and she was doted upon and she was told everything she wanted to know, although to keep the suspicions at bay, she mainly asked questions about other children, claiming to be bored with not having any friends of her own. This was how she gained information on all of the future major players as children.

Charlus Potter was a firm believer in the saying that magic can only take one so far. Therefore, he had Andy set up with a Muggle ex-Special Forces agent that he knew through means he refused to disclose ("Charlus, how on earth do you know this man?" "We go way back, darling. Please do calm down." "Calm down? He's a Muggle, a government agent no less! Where did you meet him?" "Ah look, the morning owl with our letters…"). Mr. Pat, as Andy was instructed to call him, was a stoic, constantly alert man who, for some reason, didn't question his student's maturity far beyond her physical age nor her odd way of speaking for a child. He was instructed to teach the child to defend herself and so he did. As it was, Andy was a surprisingly good student and learned quick although she never was able to best him.

When she wasn't training or playing the part of society's golden girl, she was typically with James. Thankfully, his immaturity only lasted a few months into Andy's stay until he realized that she was bigger, meaner, and smarter and therefore, he had to listen to her. By the time they were eight, they really did look and act like twins. It got down to them even dressing alike every day (although they outright refused to wear the same outfit because that was dorky and just did not work for fraternal twins) and began finishing each other's sentences which was confusing in the beginning for their dad. They even had the same outgoing personalities yet despite this, they still hadn't made any friends. They were polite but they preferred each other's company over everything else. James Potter wasn't as much of an ass as he was described as being but Andy had a niggling feeling that it had more to do with her influence than his actual personality. Regardless, it was who he was now and she wasn't going to question it too much. Of course, everything changed the day they stood on Platform 9¾ for the first time.

"Okay but you two must promise to write home as often as you can," their mum told them as she fidgeted with their clothing. Eleven-but-really-twenty-six-year-old Andy was dressed in a typical outfit of a simple ice blue dress with silver lining the hem, a ribbon of black satin around her waist that tied into a bow on her back and matching black Mary Janes. She topped it all off with a sparkling silver headband, keeping her unruly black locks out of her eyes. James was following the colour scheme except he wore black dress pants, an ice blue button-down that was tucked into his pants, and a sliver belt threaded through his belt loops. Like always, he wore his Potter medallion and Andy's Potter bracelet sat on her tiny wrist, the bracelet itself having shrunk to fit the new size. Mum and Dad watched them proudly before shooing them off to the train. James and Andy exchanged a look and they knew they had to restrain themselves from running excitedly like all the other first years. They calmly nodded their heads and walked side by side up to the massive black and red train that would carry them away to Hogwarts.

As they disappeared into one of the train's many cars, Dorea leaned over to Charlus and whispered, "I don't know Charlus, I have a bad feeling about this."

Charlus looked at his wife with a furrowed brow and asked, "Why ever would you think that, love?"

"Because James is sure to be a Gryffindor and Andy…" Dorea hesitated as she saw her daughter through the window of one of the cars, settling into a seat with her brother across from her. "The last thing Andy will ever be is a Gryffindor."

"And you have this idea that those two being in separate Houses will somehow drive them apart?" Charlus asked Dorea with a raised eyebrow. Dorea gave him a small grimace as the train began to move. He smiled gently as he wrapped his arm around her and said, "Darling, if you think anything in this world could ever really tear them apart, you're mistaken. Their bond will only get stronger from here because it will rely on trust and communication, nothing else. They will be just fine."

"Bloody hell, I hate this itchy dress," Andy grumbled as the train began to move, snapping her fingers to change herself and Jamie into regular jeans and t-shirts with sneakers on their feet instead of dress shoes. Jamie smiled gratefully at her before tossing her one of his chocolate frogs. Andy had swapped the sparkly silver headband for a plain plastic black one as she was often too occupied with something (training, Potions work, reading, Jamie's experiments when they went critical, etc) to not have her hair pushed out of her face.

"You just did wandless, nonverbal magic like it was as simple as eating a cookie." Jamie and Andy jumped at the voice from the compartment doorway. Two boys stood in the door way looking at them curiously and Andy shot a withering glance to her brother for leaving the door opened yet all he did was give her his usual impish grin and shrug before turning back to their unexpected guests.

"Yeah, Andy's like, the next Merlin," Jamie said proudly. Andy looked at him like he had lost his absolute mind before using her magic to yank the two boys in the compartment and slamming the door shut, dropping the blinds as she did so, as she jumped up off her seat and whirled to face the two boys on the seat with shocked expressions on their faces.

"If you tell anyone what I just did, you'll find out what I'm really capable of," Andy warned them, her ice blue eyes narrowing to slits.

"Just make them do an Unbreakable. Then your secret is safe," Jamie offered as he popped a piece of caramel popcorn in his mouth (it was his recent Muggle food obsession) and stood, dusting off his jeans. "I'll be the witness, I remember the way to do it after our Unbreakable."

"You two have an Unbreakable?" one of the boys asked, a boy Andy suddenly realized was Remus, with an incredulous tone. "But you two are twins!"

"Yes well I like to be safe. As you can see, Jamie here," Andy shot Jamie another glare, "has a rather large mouth."

"Fine, what's the Vow?" the second boy asked. Then Andy's heart dropped and she couldn't breathe. It was Sirius. It was a tiny, eleven-year-old Sirius. She slowly sat down on Jamie's side of the compartment and stared at the ground. Jamie watched her with concern but then he looked back at Sirius and realized that his description matched the man that Andy told him about from the future.

"What's happened to her?" Sirius asked, concern evident in his voice. He didn't understand it but when she had just looked at him, it was like she _knew_ him. An odd feeling shot through his own chest, a feeling that told him that somehow, he knew this girl and he needed to be her friend.

"Ah… um, she just kinda does this from time to time," Jamie said lamely, earning him an exasperated look from both Remus and Sirius. Jamie just grinned at them and carried on. "Okay so the Vow will be, 'I do so solemnly swear to never tell another soul outside of this compartment, deceased or not, human or not, that Andraste Philomela Slytherin-Potter is capable of superior magic, or that one of her last names is Slytherin, unless death fall upon me immediately following my treachery.' Good?"

"Death?" Remus asked, looking at Jamie as if he had absolutely lost his mind. Andy looked up with a fierce look in her eyes and answered for her brother.

"Yes, Death. I do not tolerate betrayal or treachery," she told them. It was that moment that Remus and Sirius realized that the girl in front of them couldn't possibly be only eleven-years-old. They both nodded before standing. Remus went first, taking Andy's hand and repeating the Vow as Jamie pointed his wand at their clasped hands. What looked to be shimmering green and gold ribbons flowed from Jamie's wand and wrapped around their hands. At the end of the Vow, the ribbons turned into wisps of smoke and disappeared. Sirius was next. His silver eyes met her ice blue ones as he took her hand and an electric shock went through both of them but they just held tighter. For a split second, Andy let herself think about Sirius for the first time in years as she compared her Sirius to this younger and more innocent Sirius. As her eyes flicked over his face, his clothing, his stature, his eyes, he said the Vow to her but it was the way he said it that made Jamie and Remus watch them curiously. Their ribbons were platinum silver and wound gracefully around their hands as they stared at each other, oblivious to everyone else. Yet when the Vow ended, Andy dropped his hand and sat on Jamie's side of the compartment. He flopped back next to her, grabbing another piece of his caramel popcorn as he situated himself so his legs were crossed and his tin of popcorn sat between his legs.

"So what are your names?" he asked them as he tossed them both pieces of popcorn which they popped in their mouths and ate before responding.

"Well my name's Remus Lupin," Remus introduced himself, looking slightly paranoid in the small compartment. His twitchy expression was enhanced by his tattered robes. Andy narrowed her eyes at it and immediately, the robes repaired themselves. Remus looked down on himself in shock, grey and tattered robes replaced with pristine black robes. He gave Andy a grateful look and she beamed at him.

"Yes well, my name is Sirius Black, eldest son and heir to the Ancient and Loony House of Black," Sirius told them, rolling his eyes when he told them his full title. "Who are you two?"

"Well my name is James Potter and this is my twin sister Andraste but we just call her Andy. We are the last heirs to the Potter House," Jamie introduced them to their new friends. Andy smiled a bit to herself when he included her as an heir. Sirius cocked his head to the side and said, "But a girl can't be the heir to an Ancient House."

"Maybe not for a House full of snakes but the Potter House heir laws are much more inclusive," Jamie told him with a playful grin. Sirius rolled his eyes and snorted, saying, "You got that right."

All of a sudden, the door flew open and she was facing yet another piece of her past-or rather, future. Lily Potter was standing in the doorway with Severus Snape standing beside her. Andy lit up immediately; she had missed her old Potions professor. Lily assessed the situation before saying, "Well I see that this one is full, come on Severus."

"No, no, there's plenty of room in here," Jamie said hurriedly, his eyes wide as the moon as he stared at his future wife. "What's your name?"

"My name is Lily Evans and this is my best friend, Severus Snape," she said warily, not liking the way Jamie was staring at her one bit so Andy lightly popped him upside the head. He gave her half-hearted glare before looking back at Lily.

"Well, Lily what House do you expect you'll be in?" Jamie asked her, hoping she would say Gryffindor. She shrugged.

"I don't really have a preference," she told him. Of course, Jamie decided to be a dumbass. He jumped up and posed as if he was holding a sword high above his head.

"I'm going to be a Gryffindor just like my dad, where the brave at heart dwell!" he crowed proudly. It was then that Severus snorted at his antics, Andy grinning as well. Jamie suddenly turned irritated, his ego too fragile to be mocked. "Got something to say, do you?"

"I mean Gryffindor is great all, if you're better at using brute strength rather than being intelligent," Severus shot back. Andy grinned at him and the black haired boy felt himself grow a bit more confident with the girl's approval.

"Yeah well what House do you want to be in, then?" Sirius asked him scathingly. "Probably Slytherin with all your other greasy little friends, eh Snivellus?"

Remus had an uncomfortable smile, trying to make himself appear invisible as the boys exchanged insults. Jamie grinned and laughed at Sirius' "clever" insult. Lily looked ready to kill someone. Severus was watching something else entirely.

 _Crack._

A very angry red mark was left on Sirius' right cheek as he stared at Andy in shock. She was looming over him and he could almost see fire in her eyes. She turned to Jamie and yelled at them both. "Now see, I don't really know you all that well Sirius so I had no clue you would be such a git but Jamie? You're my brother. That is absolutely unacceptable and if you think for one moment that I won't be telling our _very_ Slytherin mum that you thought your friend calling Slytherins "greasy" was funny, you are sorely mistaken."

"An-" Jamie attempted to say, fear of his mum in his eyes, but his sister cut him off, staring Sirius down as he looked at her with regret, not wanting to push her away that fast.

"And for the record, I hope I am a Slytherin," she spat at him before turning and leading Lily and Severus out of the compartment, an almost forgotten Amiya, who had been asleep on the seat, following behind them. Halfway down the aisle, they found a completely empty compartment and the four of them filed into it. They sat on the seats, Amiya and Andy on one side with Lily and Severus on the other. Andy let out a breath she had been holding back and deflated, sinking back against the back of the seat. "I'm sorry about them, that was uncalled for. Jamie will definitely be getting a Howler from Mum tomorrow after I write her a letter telling her what happened."

"Thanks for saying something," Lily told her gratefully. "What was your name?"

"Everyone calls me Andy. That git back there with the poor Godric Gryffindor impression was my twin brother James," Andy told them with a roll of her eyes.

"Is your mum really a Slytherin?" Severus asked her curiously. Andy nodded as she stroked Amiya's fur.

"Yep, and my dad's a Gryffindor. Odd, isn't it?" she told them with a smile. "But it works for them so oh well."

"And you really want to be in Slytherin even though your brother is obviously going to be a Gryffindor?" Severus asked warily, asking more to see if she had just said it to piss off her brother and his friends.

"Yeah, I've always been more of a Slytherin honestly," she told them without shame in her voice. Severus then relaxed and settled back into the cushioned seats. He could trust her.

When the train finally pulled into the station, Andy and her group moved together, Lily holding a once-more fully grown Amiya as they made their way to the boats. Jamie caught sight of her and went to call her over to him but she simply shot him an icy look and moved on. Jamie's hopeful expression fell and he trudged on next to Sirius who clapped him on the back. Jamie rarely ever upset Andy but even when he did, it had never been so bad that she wouldn't even let him apologize. As he, Remus, and Sirius chose a boat only a couple away from Andy, he said, "I really think we need to apologize to Andy and Severus, Sirius."

"What?" Sirius asked, looking at him as if he had been offended.

"That was kinda really hurtful and Andy was right, our mum is a Slytherin and the nicest woman I've ever known," James explained slowly as the boats began to move. "It wasn't fair of us to be so mean, despite his comment."

"Are you always this self-sacrificing?" Sirius asked him as he gave an exasperated sigh. Without waiting for an answer, he continued on. "But whatever, you're right. We'll apologize after the feast."

Hagrid ushered all the first years into the Entrance Hall and no matter how hard James tried to get next to Andy, she always seemed to get away from him until they were instructed to line up. She wasn't able to get away from him as he was directly behind her in line. Severus was by her side and they exchanged an annoyed glance. As they began the walk into the Great Hall, James leaned forward and said, "Andy, please, I understand that what Sirius said was wrong and that I was just as much in the wrong for thinking it was funny. Please, I need you to forgive me."

"Oh, I'm still telling mum. Amiya ran off with the letter as soon as we reached the station," Andy told him nonchalantly. Sirius, who was in the line next to Potter, noticed his new friend's suddenly pale face. Before any of them could say anything else, they were shushed, all first years in a clump facing an old wooden stool with a mangled old hat sitting on top of it. The whole Hall fell silent in anticipation until the brim opened wide and the hat began to sing;

 _Oh you may not think I'm pretty_

 _But don't judge on what you see_

 _I'll eat myself if you can find_

 _A smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black_

 _Your top hats sleek and tall_

 _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

 _And I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head_

 _The Sorting Hat can't see_

 _So try me on and I will tell you_

 _Where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor_

 _Where dwell the brave at heart_

 _Their daring nerve and chivalry_

 _Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff_

 _Where they are just and loyal_

 _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

 _And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw_

 _If you've a ready mind_

 _Where those of wit and learning_

 _Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin_

 _You'll make your real friends_

 _Those cunning folks use any means_

 _To achieve their ends._

 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

 _And don't get in a flap!_

 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!_

The Hall burst into applause and cheers as the Hat bowed to them before resuming its original shape. Then Professor McGonagall stepped forward and said, "I will now call you up on by one. When you hear your name called, come up to the front, take a seat on the stool facing the crowd, and I shall place the hat on your head. The Hat will then decide your House and then you will go and sit with the rest of your House."

And the Sorting began.

Sirius was the fourth person to be called and was immediately Sorted into Gryffindor.

Lily Evans was next into Gryffindor.

Remus Lupin followed Sirius and Lily.

"Andraste Philomela Potter."

Andy took a deep breath before she made her feet move. She moved up to the stool and turned to face the thinning crowd as she slipped on to the seat. Professor McGonagall gave her a knowing look before placing the Hat upon on her head.

 _Hmm… Curious. This isn't the first time you have been Sorted. This isn't your first life either._

"How did you know?" she asked it.

 _The Sorting Hat always knows. You were a Ravenclaw last time but you feel that you no longer fit the qualities of a Ravenclaw, no?_

"It is true."

 _Are you prepared for what lies ahead, the road you must take?_

"I am."

 _Alright then, if you are sure. It had better be…_

"SLYTHERIN!"

Andy stopped. She had been expecting Ravenclaw again regardless but she couldn't find it in herself to regret it. So she straightened her back and slipped off the stool, offering her brother a soft smile as she made her way to the cheering Slytherin table. She was a Pureblood and a Noble lady-in-training at that, on top of being known for her intelligence so the Slytherins viewed her Sorting as a big win. She sat between a young Narcissa Black and an empty seat, sharing a smile with her cousin. They had met for the first time at one of the tea parties and Andy immediately took to her, already seeing the kind woman she had known shining through the childish naivety of her upbringing.

"James Potter."

Andy watched as the boy who had been her twin brother for the past seven years walked up to the stool and turned, hopping up onto the seat. His hazel eyes met Andy's and he gave her a weak smile yet that smile turned into a grin when the Hat yelled out, "Gryffindor!"

Cissy patted Andy's hand sympathetically as James joined the roaring Gryffindors. "It's okay, Andy. I'm sure everything will be just fine."

"I hope so, Cissy," Andy said quietly. She didn't have to wait long for a friend, though. Severus was soon Sorted into Slytherin as well and took the seat beside her. She beamed at him and he smiled hesitantly back. He had never had any friends outside of Lily so he wasn't quite sure how to react to the new girl. Then the Hall fell silent once more as the Headmaster stood.

"Welcome, new students. And, to most of you, welcome back," he said smoothly, his eyes resting on Andy with a mischievous smile. "Like every year, I would like to remind students that the Forbidden Forest is strictly, as you can guess, forbidden. Any student caught in the Forest without proper staff supervision will be punished severely, if they make it out at all."

"The old man has lost it," a fellow first year Slytherin, Marina, commented in her thick Spanish accent, looking at the Headmaster with horror. Andy smirked and rolled her eyes.

"Is the wee lil' snake fwigh'ened over the lil' ol' man's scawy wo'ds?" Andy mocked her in a baby voice, making Cissy giggle and hide her mouth behind her hand. Marina rolled her eyes at Andy but straightened up nonetheless.

"A new rule this year though is that all students must avoid the Whomping Willow, a foreign tree that is the last of its kind that is being sheltered here at Hogwarts. Now, as you can guess from the name, the tree is sentient and has a very violent temper. It doesn't take well to anything coming near it so any student who comes within reach of its branches will be severely injured, if not killed," the Headmaster informed his students. "But of course, amid all of the danger, you all must remember what is important; living up to the standards of not only your House values but also Hogwarts' values, going above and beyond in your studies, creating lifelong friendships and bonds, and remembering that right now your only real job is to figure out who each one of you are and becoming exactly who you want to be. With that being said, enjoy!"

With that, the tables filled with the usual delicious foods and Andy began her second round of Hogwarts.


	3. Accidental Magic and New Allies

**"And I don't know where I'll go**

 **And I don't know what I'll see**

 **But I'll try not to bring it back home with me"**

 **-The Black Ghosts; Full Moon**

 **Accidental Magic and New Allies**

The first few weeks of Andy's second round of her first year were more hectic than her first round first year. James received a Howler from Mum first thing the morning after they had arrived while Andy received a congratulatory letter for making it into Slytherin. James, on the other hand, received nothing else after the Howler except a warning of severe punishment if he slipped up at all that whole year. Andy did eventually accept his apology though, along with Sirius', which took her by surprise. She had been expecting him to apologize for his actions but he did and she wasn't going to question it out loud. She was fast friends with Severus and Lily, and the three of them even were invited to spend time with Cissy's group, all of the Noble young ladies that Andy had been raised with. Lily was wary of the older Slytherins but after a couple of normal study sessions with no dark hexes flying (like James told her would happen when he found out what she was heading to go do), she calmed down. The group consisted of mainly girls from the Noble families. Bellatrix had already graduated the previous year so Dromeda and Cissy were the Black sisters that were left. Sophie LaLaurie was a fifth year from an American Noble family from what she called the "Deep South"; she was a little quiet at times but she was nice regardless. Alaina Greengrass and Amoria Greengrass were the Greengrass family twins, the first ever in their family as far as anyone knew. They were sweet and in their third year but they very much reminded Andy of female versions of Fred and George.; mischievous and always on the hunt for the next best prank. Priscilla Parkinson occasionally joined them when she managed to keep her vile mouth in check concerning Lily. The first time she said anything about Lily's blood status, she was escorted from the library by Dromeda with a firm warning of a good hex and a nasty rumour.

"I swear Slughorn is trying to break us," Amoria groaned as she slumped back in her chair, rubbing her hands over her face. "Two essays, both a full scroll long, in a single week!"

"Bloody ridiculous, that man is," Alaina agreed as she shook her head.

"You'll be fine, it's only Monday which means you have today and three more days to do it. You'll be fine," Dromeda told them, rolling her eyes as she scratched out an essay for Binns. Sev, Lily, and Andy were all working on list of questions Professor Sprout had given them to be turned in on Thursday. Thankfully, as they were Slytherins and a Gryffindor respectively, they had almost every class together.

"You boil a mandrake in water for a day before giving it to a Petrified victim, right?" Lily asked the group, tapping her lip with her quill.

"Two days but yes," Cissy corrected her. Lily beamed at her and nodded before writing her answer.

"Andy, how are you already done? We've been in here less than an hour and you had homework from four Professors!" Sophie exclaimed, looking at the first year's neat stack of finished homework. Andy smiled secretively and shrugged.

"This is all far too simple for me," she told them in a posh tone as she leaned back in her chair and sighed. Sev smirked and Lily rolled her eyes playfully at their friend's arrogant act.

"Well then come help us," the wins chorused. Andy shrugged and sat back, standing and making her way around the table to where they sat. She looked at the prompts for the essays and then rolled her eyes. She shooed Alaina out of her seat, took her quill, and began writing. The table watched the eleven-year-old write as if she had planned the whole essay out already, not hesitating once. Fifteen minutes later, she sat back and admired her work.

"I dripped a little ink here and there but just copy this and you'll be fine," Andy told Alaina as she got up. "All he asked for was one roll just describing poisons and the other describing their antidotes. I'll work on the antidotes one while you copy that."

"How the hell did you just do that?" Sophie asked incredulously. Andy grinned and shook her head.

"My mum and dad are very big on education. James was an idiot and goofed off most of the time but I was brewing fifth year level potions by the time I was seven. This is just busy work in my opinion," Andy told them with a shrug. She pulled up a chair next to Alaina and set to work on the Antidotes scroll while the twins copied her Poisons scroll.

"I wish my mum had done that, maybe this wouldn't be so hard," Amoria commented as she shook her head. Dromeda suddenly dropped her quill and put her hand in the middle of the circular table.

"You know what? Let's Vow it right now," Dromeda said passionately. "Let us all Vow to one another that we will make sure to properly educate our children. We won't just teach them Noble family stuff, we will teach them Potions and Arithmetic, Transfiguration and Herbology, History and Defense. Let's Vow right now to make sure that the next generation of children are as unprepared and won't have to struggle as much."

The twins put their hands in immediately, chorusing, "I'm in."

"I agree, that is a brilliant idea," Sophie said with a nod as she put her hand on top of the other three. Cissy nodded with a soft smile and silently added her hand. Lily shrugged and put her hand in, standing on her tippy toes. Severus followed almost immediately after. Andy grinned to herself, loving that she was changing so much already, and put her hand on top.

"It's a Vow." Yet, the second she said those words, something odd happened. A pure gold ribbon entwined all eight of their hands, flowing as if it were water. They watched with wide eyes as it wrapped itself round and round and round before tying itself in a knot on top of Andy's hand and then disappearing into a shower of insubstantial gold sparkles. That faded to nothing right before they landed on the table. The seven girls and one boy looked at the spot on the middle of the table, retracting their hands slowly. Then seven pairs of eyes looked at Andy.

"Did you just…?" Alaina said in disbelief, although she was very much impressed. Yet all of them had noticed that her wand hadn't been in her hand and she didn't even say the Unbreakable Vow words yet they could all feel that gold ribbon tied to their souls.

"Andy," Dromeda started carefully. "Did you just do advanced wandless magic?"

Andy chewed her lip and looked around. The Vow was unexpected, that piece of magic wasn't under her control. Her magic did that of its own accord and Andy told the group this much. Dromeda, being a seventh year and the oldest, was the one everyone looked to for an answer. Dromeda slowly began nodding though and then she spoke. "It makes sense. I remember you mum telling mine about how advanced your magic was already and how she was worried that it might start acting out on its own due to being too mature for your body. Perhaps the Headmaster can help?"

"Yes, he damn well better be able to," Andy muttered under her breath. The group watched her with concern as she hurriedly packed her bags and left the library in less than thirty seconds. Lily nudged Sev and they waved to the older Slytherins before grabbing their things and chasing after their friend.

"Do you know how to get to the Headmaster's office?" Lily asked Sev quietly. He nodded and linked arms with her, directing them to the stone gargoyle.

"Um… Lemon drops!" Sev finally remembered. The gargoyle dipped his head and moved aside. The two first years raced up the stairs but before they could knock, they heard Andy loudly and in a rather heated tone. They looked at each other and pressed their ears to the door.

"… said I can't control my magic? Well apparently it was Andromeda Black who had the answer. My body is too young for my magic, which makes sense. My magic is used to a grown body, not this. I don't know how the hell you expected me to change anything if my magic is flipping out because it's twenty-six years old and it was crammed in an eleven-year-old's body!" Sev and Lily's eyes went wide at her revelation. Before they could knock though, they heard the Headmaster call out, "Mr. Snape, Ms. Evans, please come in."

Lily and Sev exchanged a look before guiltily pushing the door open, knowing they had been caught eavesdropping. Andy stood near one of the bookcases, her wild black curls seemingly defying gravity and sparking at the ends as she paced. She immediately deflated when she saw her two friends though, her hair looking almost limp in comparison to how it had looked not two seconds beforehand. She sat down on the little step and just buried her face in her hands. The Headmaster gestured for Lily and Severus to sit in the two armchairs across from his desk. They moved cautiously but the second they were settled, Professor Dumbledore looked at Andy and asked, "Should I tell or shall you?"

"Go for it," she muttered halfheartedly. Professor Dumbledore smiled sympathetically at her before turning back to the two children.

"I assume the shock on your face is because of what you overheard Andy saying, yes?" he asked them. They nodded silently. He smiled gently and said, "Well don't you worry. As her best friends, outside of her brother, she has chosen to let you know the truth."

"The truth, sir?" Lily asked, finally getting the courage to speak up.

"Yes, Ms. Evans. Andy's truth," he told her with a knowing smile. "But before I start, you must understand that you are going to hear a lot of names of people you know and you will even hear your own names. You must then understand that what happened in Andy's time will not happen now because everything was erased by her coming here. Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"Yes, sir."

"Shall I begin?"

"Yes, sir."

"There is a man called Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr. He had been a pupil of mine but he became Dark, very Dark. In fact, he is the Darkest wizard to ever exist and he goes by the name Lord Voldemort now. He is a pure-blood fanatic and rallies for the extermination or enslavement of the Muggles and Muggle-borns. He is a heartless and cruel man. Yet, one night in the early part of the year 1976-"

"But sir, it's only 1971," Severus objected. The Headmaster fixed him with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, immediately silencing the boy.

"As I was saying, in the early part of 1976, he realized that he wanted an heir. But not just any regular child, he wanted to create the most powerful heir ever known in hopes that the child could be his secret weapon of sorts. So he turned to his most ardent female follower, Bellatrix Lestrange. She was also the eldest of the Black family children and her marriage to Rodolphus Lestrange was out of requirement, not love. So the Dark Lord impregnated her and that same night, she slept with her husband so that in nine months, he wouldn't think twice about her giving birth to a little girl, named Andraste Philomela Lestrange. But of course, her true name was Andraste Philomela Riddle-Lestrange but Rodolphus didn't know this. I was the head of a group fighting back against the Dark Lord and his followers, trying to keep our people and way of life safe, when a spy informed us of whispers of a child between Bellatrix and Tom. For a year I planned until finally my opportunity came. October 31st, 1981 was a night of great tragedy but also of great triumph. That night, Lily and James Potter died at the hand of the Dark Lord himself who had come to kill their year-old son, Harry, who was prophesied to be the one to defeat the Dark Lord one day. Lily's dying act was protecting her son so the boy was protected by the strongest magic of all: love."

"Lily _Potter_?" Sev asked with a pale, horror-stricken face. Lily looked ready to throw up but their Headmaster simply smiled and then carried on.

"While they were at the mercy of the Dark Lord, Bellatrix and her husband along with one other Death Eater were torturing another young couple for their repeated defiance of Lord Voldemort. Since they were away from their manor, I managed to sneak in two of my men in to get the child. The mission was successful and they turned to the castle late that night with the girl. She didn't quite trust me at first and clung more to the Potions professor, Severus Snape, who began his career that very same night. She was only five at the time but when she turned eight, she realized that her parents were going down a very bad path and from that day onwards, she became my adopted granddaughter. I raised her in this castle, safe from any of her father's followers. We, the staff, trained her to be advanced in all areas of magic so she would be prepared for the outside world. We also find out that her ancestor was Salazar Slytherin himself. She became best friends with Fred and George Weasley in her second year. In her fourth year, she gained a best friend named Hermione Granger and she also met Harry Potter. In her fifth year, the castle came under siege by one young Ginny Weasley who was possessed by the Dark Lord himself and was forced to do many things, one of which was to open the hidden Chamber of Secrets under the castle and release the giant serpent that was there. Only heirs of Slytherin can control it so the basilisk could sense Lord Voldemort's presence and therefore did as it was instructed. That is until Salazar completely changed the ownership of his basilisk over to his granddaughter, stopping the Dark Lord from having any control over the creature. She then took away the conduit that was letting the Dark Lord possess Ms. Weasley, freeing the young girl, and hid the conduit away for the rest of her days." Professor Dumbledore paused, letting that bit settle in. But Lily and Severus both stared at him expectantly so he carried on. "The summer before her sixth year, news of an escaped prisoner of Azkaban, one Sirius Black, reached her ears and being the girl she was, she reached out to him and invited him to the castle where she swore to protect him because she knew that the man was innocent."

"Wait, why was he in Azkaban if he was innocent?" Lily asked in confusion. "I thought Azkaban was just for people who broke the law."

"Well, my dear Ms. Evans, the problem was that every piece of evidence pointed to him. You see, Sirius and his three friends-James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew-all had the ability to shift into animals. They were illegal Animagi. Well, what James, Remus, and Sirius didn't know was that around their seventh year, Peter stopped trusting his friends and the Order to protect him and his life from the Dark Lord so he became a traitor. He was a spy in our midst and he reported to the Dark Lord every moment he could. The folly was when Sirius was named the Secret Keeper of the home address of the Potters but he told James that he was the obvious choice so he needed to choose someone less conspicuous. James and Lily then decided to trust the position of Secret Keeper to Peter and he finally was able to go to his master with the type of information the dark wizard really wanted and that was how the Dark Lord knew where to find the couple. Sirius was alerted to the mayhem at the Potter house but when he arrived, half of the house was blasted apart and was still burning with the residue flames of the Dark Lord's demise. Baby Harry Potter was standing in his crib crying while his mother laid on the floor dead. His father was at the foot of the stairs, also dead. Sirius was enraged and sent myself a message to come save the child. He then left his motorbike in the nursery, as it was a flying motorbike, and tracked Peter to a nearby street. Sirius was shooting Killing Curses at the man so Peter, knowing he was going to be caught if he didn't do something, blew up half of the street of homes which killed a dozen Muggles, cut off his own pinky, and then turned into his rat form and disappeared, leaving Sirius Black to appear to be the culprit. He was also blamed for the deaths of Lily and James Potter since last anyone heard, he had been the Secret Keeper. He spent twelve years in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit."

"But that's horrible!" Lily protested. "No one knew that Sirius wasn't the Secret Keeper?"

"Not a single soul knew," Professor Dumbledore told them sadly. "Of course, I figured it out later when I caught a glimpse of Peter Pettigrew after his supposed death. So when Andy saw Sirius one day as a young girl, I informed her that he wasn't an innocent man in the wrong place at the wrong time. So that was why she drew him to the castle and kept him safe in a chamber that she had created using her magic and had several exits that wound through the castle that led to the kitchens, the lavatory, her rooms, and anywhere else he may have need to go. He was safe there until her and her friends managed to capture the rat, who had hidden himself in the castle, and force a confession out of him which cleared Sirius' name and he then took on the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor alongside his only remaining best friend, Remus Lupin, who took on History of Magic. In her seventh year, a Tri-Wizard Tournament was held for the first time in about half a century, and she was chosen as the Hogwarts champion. Harry Potter was also chosen from Hogwarts, as the Goblet of Fire, which chooses the champions, had been bewitched to choose Harry regardless. Andy dominated the first two tasks but the third and final task was rigged. Harry and Andy made it to the Tri-Wizard Cup at the center of the task at the same time but the second they both touched it, they realized it was a Portkey but it was too late. They landed in a cemetery where they were captured and made force to watch the physical rebirth of the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord attempted to torture Harry but Andy helped him escape. The only issue was that, in a moment of cowardice, he didn't go back for his friend. Andy was taken by the Dark Lord and drugged to make her believe that she loved him as a father so that she would sit by his side and do as he told her. She was kept that way for nearly half a year until she began starving herself out of depression after she killed a man under orders and provocation when she realized that the food was laced with a very strong love potion but the effects were minimized so that she didn't look to him as a lover but as her parent. When she realized, she sent a Patronus with a message to the Headquarters of the Order, letting them know exactly where she was. That night, the entire Order provided a distraction while a small team got inside the manor and rescued Andy as well as her student, Draco Malfoy who is the son of Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy. She was reunited with Sirius, who was the one who pushed the hardest for her retrieval, and the two of them finally accepted their feelings for each other, despite everything that everyone else believed should've kept them apart."

"Andy was in love with Sirius? But he's a t-," Lily began to protest but a look from the Headmaster made her stop.

"Because the Sirius I knew was Sirius as an adult. He suffered through losing his freedom and his family and then his best friends. He had been broken down and far more serious. The Sirius here isn't my Sirius, my Sirius is long gone now." Andy finally spoke up, her voice cracking with unshed tears. "He's naught but a memory."

Severus and Lily looked at their friend in shock. It had never occurred to them how old her voice sounded in comparison to her small body. Severus swallowed hard and asked, "What happened next?"

"Papa, Professor Dumbledore, as well as Professor McGonagall and Alastor Moody had to go on a trip to our non-human allies to ensure their continued support. Having the highest level of magic as well as the desire to be a professor and being an alumnus of Ravenclaw, Papa left me in charge of both the Order and Hogwarts, making me the youngest Hogwarts Headmistress in all of history. I took over right around Christmas, before the holiday, and managed to implement some of my own rules to change how things were in Hogwarts. It worked wonderfully and led to the most unity this school has ever seen. Over half the school stayed at the castle over Christmas break and we put up one giant Christmas tree and everyone helped decorate it and we all slept in sleeping bags and on fluffy rugs in front of the fireplaces. Order members who didn't have family also flooded in, just wanting to be somewhere warm and with other people. The older Order members helped me in gathering presents, so that no child had any less than four presents each. Yet, that very night, one of our older members, Arthur Weasley, was viciously attacked by my Father's pet snake named Nagini. Thankfully, we were aware in time for me to send Order members to him and get him to St. Mungo's and he was right as rain after a couple of weeks," She told them, standing from her spot and stretching before wandering over to the Headmaster's desk. "Everything was quiet then, at least until near the end of the year. Harry and his friends fell for a trap that was set by the Dark Lord to make it seem like he was torturing Sirius, who was Harry's godfather, in the Ministry of Magic. The ghost of Godric Gryffindor alerted me to this and I was able to call for backup and go in after them. I got there in time to assist in the battle but not in time to save my love from the woman who gave birth to me. I saw him get shot with a Killing Curse and he disappeared through the Veil and I was shattered. I chased Bellatrix with the full intention of killing her myself but the Dark Lord saved her from me. I was losing my mind, my anguish and fury fueling magic that I didn't even know I existed until my body shut down out of exhaustion."

"What happened to you?" Lily whispered in horror, both her and Severus sitting on the edge of the seats. Andy let out a sigh and leaned against the desk.

"I was taken back here and I woke up on that couch," she told them, gesturing to a small sofa in the corner. "It was then that Papa and I discussed the losses of our Ministry battle, which was gratefully limited to Sirius and Emmeline Vance. Then the day's tragedies hit me and I fell back asleep and when I woke, I was here. Papa had sent me back because he realized the only way to fix anything was to start at the beginning."

"So that's why you're here?" Severus asked her, seeing his friend in a new light. Andy nodded as she stared at her feet.

"My life, the future that I am from, changed the second I landed here. Nothing will be the same this time around and I don't want it to be. There's a lot to fix here," she said as she pushed off of the desk. Lily stood and looked her friend in the eyes and asked, "So what do we do?"

"We?" Andy asked in confusion. Lily nodded and looked back at Sev just as he stood and came up beside her.

"Yes, we. We do this together," he agreed firmly.

The three first years wandered into the Great Hall just in time for dinner. Lily waved to Sev and Andy and went to join Marlene and Alice at the Gryffindor table. Andy caught her brother's eye and he smiled warily at her. She beamed at him, much to his surprise, before she linked arms with Sev and went off to the Slytherin table. They sat with their group, which now included Emmeline Vance, and the second they sat down, Cissy turned to Andy and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright," she assured her friend with a smile. "Professor Dumbledore assessed the issue and set me up with private lessons twice a week so I can practice more advanced spells so that my magic doesn't build up and act of its own accord like that again."

"Okay good," Amoria said as she took a sip of pumpkin juice.

"Because you had us worried," Alaina finished as she shook her head and took a bite of her asparagus.

"Don't worry, ladies. Everything is just fine," Andy repeated as she piled steamed and lightly buttered broccoli, grilled chicken, and a baked potato on her empty plate. Cissy poured her some pumpkin juice which she took gratefully. She shared a meaningful look with Sev and he grinned, unable to help himself. He had two best friends and a whole group of older friends who all liked him and didn't think he was weird and now, to make it even better, he was in on the biggest secret of the entire world and Andy actually trusted him wholeheartedly. For once, he didn't feel so alone.

"So like, are we really under magical oath to be the greatest parents ever?" Sophie asked after a minute or so of silence. They all laughed and rolled their eyes before continuing their discussion of their parenting styles.

"Narcissa, I do believe it is time for our patrols." Andy resisted the urge to vomit at the sound of his voice. Snake bastard. Cissy's carefree manner plummeted and she looked forlorn and meek like she had in her adulthood.

"Yes, Lucius. Quite right," she said in her most polite, empty tone. Dromeda cringed, hating how that man made her sister act. Cissy nodded at all of them and then stood and took Lucius' offered arm and walked out of the Hall with him.

"I don't like him. I don't like him one bit," Dromeda murmured to the rest of them. They were all watching their retreating backs and they all nodded in agreement. Everyone knew that Lucius was bad news and no one wanted him around sweet, innocent Cissy.

"I'll kill him if he touches her," Andy swore. "I swear it on every ounce of magical blood in my veins that I will kill him if he ever so much as lays a finger on her without her permission."

"Yeah, if I don't get him first," Dromeda murmured. On that day, their group decided to always keep that particular snake in their sights. Despite the fact that they were all Slytherin, except for Lily (as well as Marlene and Alice who joined their group a couple weeks later), they knew that Lucius was the type of Slytherin that gave them all a bad reputation. He was pure trouble.

A paper ball landed on her desk in the middle of History of Magic. She looked up at Sev in confusion but he looked just as confused as she did. She shrugged and opened the ball.

 _Will you please sit with us outside for lunch today? It's a nice day and we haven't spoken in weeks. -J_

Andy looked up and saw she was being watched by her brother, who was sitting beside Sirius who was also watching her. She smiled and shook her head before replying.

 _Of course. The tree by the lake? -A_

She folded the letter neatly and floated it gently to his desk. He caught it and opened it, breaking out into a giant grin as he replied back. She summoned the letter back to herself once she saw him fold it.

 _Yes! Sounds great -J_

She nodded and then showed Sev the note. He sighed, still bearing a minor grudge against the Gryffindor boys, but nodded as well. He then passed the note up to Lily who sat in front of them with Em and she read it as well. She turned around and nodded at Andy before passing the note up to Marlene and Alice, and then going back to her notes. After Potions, the six of them got sandwiches and fruit and snuck a whole thing of pumpkin juice, stuffing all of it into Andy's magically enlarged bag. They then slipped outside where other students had had the same idea but thankfully, the tree was left empty. The group, now joined by Andy's Slytherin ladies, spread several blankets over the grass by the lake and then set out the food. The four Gryffindor boys approached a few minutes later, watching the impressive coordination. They sat down on one of the blankets, alerting the group to their presence. Andy looked up and beamed at James, running over and hugging him tightly.

"I missed you Jamie," she murmured in his ear. He hugged her back just as tightly and nodded, unable to even reply. But then, she lowered her voice even further and whispered, "Lily and Sev know."

He froze but then he nodded again, trusting his sister's decisions, even if he was wary of the Slytherin boy. They pulled apart and smiled at one another before everyone sat in a ring on the blankets, passing out food and pouring juice as Andy introduced everyone. "Alrighty so going from my right side we have my twin brother, James, who is a Gryffindor and then we have his three Gryffindor best friends; Sirius, Remus, and Peter who are all first years. Next to Peter is Sophie, a Slytherin fifth year from America and to her right are the twins Amoria and Alaina, third year Slytherins. Next to them is Emmeline, a Slytherin first year, and Lily and Alice, Gryffindor first years then it's Dromeda, a Slytherin seventh year and the Head Girl. Next to her is Cissy, her younger sister, who is a Slytherin fifth year. And then on my left is Severus, more commonly known as Sev," she said, pointing at each person as she went. Everyone who hadn't already met dipped their heads politely and then they began to eat and talk amoungst themselves. James leaned over to Andy as she took a bite of her turkey sandwich.

"Is this what you've been doing?" he asked her lowly. "I've never seen Gryffindors and Slytherins getting along."

"Well obviously it's possible, Jamie," Andy said with a roll of her eyes. "Mum would've killed Dad a long time ago if it wasn't."

"Do you plan on all of them knowing?" Jamie asked her, although he didn't really need to lower his voice all that much; everyone else was talking so much that the only people who heard him was Andy and Sev.

"Soon but she said that we're also still missing an essential piece to her puzzle," Sev answered for her as she swallowed another bite of her sandwich but she nodded along with his words to show that she was still listening.

"What piece?" James asked her curiously.

"Regulus Black. He's the last member that I absolutely need," she told him almost silently. "Regardless, I'm swearing everyone in before Christmas break."

"Why Sirius' little brother?" James whispered, looking over at Sirius to make sure the boy wasn't listening but he was too busy trying to charm the infallible Emmeline.

"He's important," was all Andy would say on the matter, now also watching Sirius. Jamie looked away guiltily, blaming himself for drawing Andy's attention to the boy's weak flirting attempts. Then he felt something poke his hand and he looked down. A piece of parchment was laying there, leaned up against his knuckles. He looked up curiously but he saw his sister's snake friend just look at him meaningfully before looking away, jumping right back into the conversation that was going on. James picked up the note and unfolded it hesitantly.

 _She would never admit this but your mate is still the love of her life and she's still reeling from his death in her time. Don't question her about it, just let her try to heal as best she can on her own._

James read the note twice before he realized that maybe, just maybe, he had misjudged Andy's new friend. He looked up to see her laughing hysterically while Severus chuckled and shook his head at her antics, letting her lean into him. With a pang of sadness, he realized that she was with Severus constantly now and it was no wonder she began to lean on him for support like she had done with James himself before they had met any of these other people. It made him miss the old days but he still smiled because he knew that he was still her brother and that wasn't ever going to change.

When November the third rolled around, Andy and the other seven Slytherins were invited to the Astronomy tower with the Gryffindor half of their group, excusing Peter, to celebrate the twelfth birthday of Sirius Black. Each person came bearing a gift, even Sev. The Astronomy tower had been decorated in gold and red, and there was a whole table just full of food and drinks while the other table was reserved for presents. A small radio that had been magically enhanced played popular Muggle music and the group merged together, all wearing their Muggle clothes for the special occasion. Andy leaned up against the wall and listened to music play, a smile flickering over her face as she heard all the classics that she loved so much being played in real time. But it wasn't until she heard the beginning of one certain song did the smile slip off her face and all her memories start coming back full force. She sang along softly, detaching herself from the festivities that were going on as she got lost in the tidal wave of her past-and everyone else's lost future.

"When I find myself in times of trouble,

Mother Mary comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom,

Let It Be"

 _Aunt Cissy smoothing down her curls and telling her that she is stronger than everyone was giving her credit for, that she was going to come through this war just fine._

"And in my hour of darkness,

She is standing right in front of me,

Speaking words of wisdom,

Let It Be."

" _You are the most capable witch in the world, Andraste," Papa told her as she expressed her worries about being chosen as Headmistress. "Do not ever doubt yourself."_

"Let it be, let it be,

Let it be, let it be.

Whisper words of wisdom,

Let It Be."

" _I love you," Sirius whispered in her ear as they fell asleep curled up around each other._

"And when the broken-hearted people

Living in the world agree,

There will be an answer,

Let It Be."

 _Hundreds of students looking to her expectantly, needing her guidance and leadership, her strength._

"For though they may be parted,

There is still a chance that they will see

There will be an answer,

Let It Be."

 _All three schools working in unity after the attack on one of their own inside their walls, banding together to brave the storm._

"Let it be, let it be

Let it be, let it be.

There will be an answer,

Let It Be."

" _We are one, not many. We are whole, not broken. We are family, not enemies," Andy told her students vehemently after a Gryffindor-Slytherin conflict, all watching her with wide, respectful eyes._

"Let it be, let it be,

Let it be, let it be.

Whisper words of wisdom,

Let It Be."

" _They need you, Andy. And as the strongest woman I know, don't tell me that you're unable to be the fearless leader that they need, that I need."_

"And when the night is cloudy

There is still a light that shines on me,

Shine on til tomorrow,

Let It Be."

" _Shh, it's okay," Sirius comforted her as she sobbed over the stress. He rubbed her back and hummed and old song in her ear until she calmed down before whispering, "Sleep, love. I'll always be here."_

"I wake up to the sound of music,

Mother Mary comes to me,

Speaking words of wisdom,

Let It Be."

" _My name is Albus Dumbledore and I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts. What is your name?"_

" _Andraste."_

" _Well Andraste, I need you to be a big girl now. Can you do that?"_

" _Yes sir."_

"Let it be, let it be,

Let it be, let it be.

Yeah, there will be an answer,

Let It Be."

" _After you collapsed, I was able to fend him off and injure him enough to ensure that he stays off our tails for now. The whole community knows that he attacked the Ministry now though. We lost no one but Emmeline and…"_

" _Yeah…"_

"Let it be, let it be,

Let it be, let it be.

Whisper words of wisdom,

Let It Be."

She felt arms wrap around her waist and she sank into the familiar chest, holding her brother while she sobbed viciously, only half listening as he ordered Remus to turn off the radio. "Shh, Andy, you're alright. I'm here with you, I promise."

"I… can't… do… it," Andy forced out between hiccups and sobs, clinging to his jacket for dear life. There was nothing but silence as her cries rang through the Tower. But then she vaguely heard Sirius say, "Shit."

"Mr. Potter, please allow me to get to Andy." Papa. It was Papa.

James released her reluctantly and stepped back to stand beside his best friend. They all watched in silence as Professor Dumbledore whispered something to Andy and she nodded once before she suddenly went limp. The Headmaster scooped up the small girl and turned to face the crowd of students. He looked grim and not all like the kind old man he normally looked like. He looked to James, Severus, and Lily and asked, "Do you believe she would mind terribly if we did it now?"

"I think she'd want to be awake for it at least," James said.

"Yeah, it is kind of her story to tell, not ours," Lily added with a nod. The Headmaster nodded before looking at the oblivious and confused group.

"All of you will follow me. The House Elves will clean and store your party decorations and food for a later date. You will all be given a pass from classes in the morning because this may take a while. Please follow me to the Infirmary," he ordered them. He didn't wait for a reply before leaving the tower. James, Lily, and Severus followed immediately and the others hesitantly followed as well.

"What is this about? Is Andy okay?" Sirius asked James, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Andy is very special, mate. That's all I can really say until she wakes up," James said with heavy eyes and a shake of his head. Sirius looked at his friend oddly but followed nonetheless. He had felt a pull to the girl from the moment he met her and he had to know that she would be okay.


	4. The Whole and Honest Truth

**"Silently, I must confess my troubled history**

 **That's washed away all my sins, starting over once again**

 **This is where it all begins, it's right in front of me"**

 **-Pop Evil; Footsteps**

 **The Whole and Honest Truth**

Andy blinked awake to blinding white surroundings and a heaviness in her chest that she hadn't been fully aware of for what felt like years. Her eyes burned with all of the tears she had shed and she knew that she would be able to shed no more. She blinked a couple more times before her vision focused, then she realized that she was looking at the inside of the Infirmary and that there was a crowd of faces staring back at her.

"Andy? Are you feeling okay?" a very familiar voice asked.

"No, Papa. I feel as broken as I was when you met me," she managed to croak. James helpfully held a glass of water to her lips and assisted her in drinking until she felt better. She gave him a half-hearted smile to which he returned with a kiss on her forehead. "I suppose it's time then."

"I suppose it is," Papa agreed sympathetically. "You were going to tell them anyways."

"Yes but I do so wish that I had been able to do it on my own time," she said with sigh as she moved to sit up straighter. James and Sev sat on her bed while Lily and Marlene sat in the chairs to her left and Papa and Dromeda sat in the chairs to her right. The rest of them had pulled chairs up around her cot and were watching her expectantly.

"What is it that you aren't telling us?" Sirius finally asked. Andy repressed the urge to flinch at hearing his voice. Instead, she settled into her pillows and began her story.

"In the early 1960's, a dark wizard by the name of Lord Voldemort began to amass power. He preached blood purity and Muggle enslavement, and a lot of the Pureblood families fell in behind him. Well, along the way, he realized that real power is leaving a legacy, something that can never be destroyed. So he created his legacy, using his most ardent follower and the eldest female of a long line of Purebloods; the newly married Bellatrix Lestrange. In early 1976, he impregnated her after revealing his plan to her and on Halloween night, 1976, Bellatrix brought into this world one Andraste Philomela Riddle-Lestrange," Andy began. The shocked looks on Sirius, Cissy, and Dromeda's faces were enough to make her continue. "That same year was the year that the younger generation of the Order of the Phoenix, the rebel group fighting the Dark Lord, graduated from Hogwarts. This included James Potter, Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Emmeline Vance, Alice and Frank Longbottom who had gotten married the moment they were both seventeen, and several others. Sirius and Remus shared a flat in Diagon Alley, Lily and James were married a few months after graduation, Marlene returned to her family to help protect them, Peter Pettigrew was often missing from the radar, Emmeline became an Auror, and the Longbottoms moved into their own home and began their life together whilst running their given missions."

"What about us?" Cissy asked quietly. "We don't join this Order?"

"What you will do now has completely changed. My past is no longer set into stone. My past is your lost future. Some things may remain the same if you so choose but others will be very different," Andy warned her. "For instance, Narcissa Black was married to Lucius Malfoy before she even graduated and gave birth to a baby boy in 1981 and it was her only child. His name was Draco and he was my protégé and my godbrother as you, Cissy, were my godmother in another life. Andromeda Black became Andromeda Tonks after she fell in love with a Muggle man and she had a healthy baby girl who she named Nymphadora. Because of this, she was disowned by her family. Alaina died in childbirth so her husband left for France with their baby girl and Amoria was married off by her father and they lived in seclusion as she refused to give him a child. Severus Snape was bullied all through Hogwarts by James and Sirius, thus leading him to temporarily join Lord Voldemort. After he realized that Lord Voldemort intended to target Lily Potter, he defected and became a spy for Dumbledore in an attempt to save his childhood best friend's life."

"I know we said something rude to him but were we really that mean?" Sirius asked, looking at Andy and almost hoping that she would say that she had. Andy nodded and sighed.

"You were, but that was changed the moment I met James. Now please, keep in mind that the people I am talking about are not who you are, they were possibilities of what you could have been but that you no longer will become. Shall I continue?" she asked the group. They nodded so she continued on. "Harry James Potter was born on July the 31st, 1980. Sirius Black, best friend of James, was named the godfather of the boy. For a year, everything was alright. But it was in October of 1981 when things began to go sour. The Dark Lord had heard of a prophecy that depicted a child that would be able to defeat him, a magical baby boy born at the end of July. There was, as it so happens, two baby wizards born at the end of July. Both the Longbottoms and the Potters had a baby boy at the end of July but when the Dark Lord was tipped off that it wasn't the Longbottom boy, he turned his attention to the Potters. Luckily for him, they had made a very large mistake."

"Drink some water and rest your throat. I know this part well enough," James told her softly, pushing the glass into her hand. She smiled gratefully at him and did as instructed. He then turned to his friends and picked up where she left off. "So yeah, like she was saying, we kinda made a mistake. We originally chose Sirius to be the Secret Keeper for the location of our home but then Sirius and I thought he was the obvious choice so we then changed it to Peter. But in Andy's reality, Peter had turned traitor so he got into the Dark Lord's highest inner circle by giving him the location of the elusive Potters. He caught us, and killed Lily and I of course, but because Lily's dying act was throwing herself in front of our son, the Dark Lord's Killing Curse bounced right off our child and hit the Dark Lord, blasting him almost out existence. You see, love is the ultimate magic. It insured that Voldemort would never be able to touch Harry," James explained, telling the tale as naturally as if it were real for him. "That same night, Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband, and another Death Eater were out torturing the Longbottom couple using dark curses until they reached mental instability. That was when they were caught and arrested but that same night, Andy was taken the Lestrange Manor by Order members and delivered to Hogwarts."

"What happened to baby Harry?" Sirius asked, wrapped up in the tale of his almost-future. James hesitated and looked at his sister. He was reluctant to tell his best friend of his own fate.

"The house had been blown part by the force of the explosion and Sirius was alerted to it via a system of protective charms they had surrounded the cottage with. He was the first on the scene. He contacted Dumbledore and told him to get Harry out of there before he went after Peter, knowing he had ratted the Potters out. They dueled in the middle of a Muggle residential road and Peter, knowing he was trapped, blew up half the street which resulted in thirteen Muggle deaths and then cut off his own little finger before transforming into his Animagi form and slipping away. Sirius was arrested on the spot and was thrown into Azkaban for betraying the Potters, killing Peter, and blowing up that Muggle street," Andy said quietly, as she focused on her glass of water. She heard Sirius' intake of breath so she pushed on to avoid his questions. "I was five when I arrived at Hogwarts. No one but Dumbledore knew that I was the child of Lord Voldemort, not even I. I was raised with the staff and I mostly avoided the other students, although the legend of the orphaned child of Dumbledore's illegitimate daughter spread like wildfire. People saw me eating at high table and saw me wandering the halls but no one ever really spoke to me. I found out that Salazar Slytherin was my ancestor, due to the fact that his ghost still lingers in the castle, as well as all of the Founders. I was Sorted into Ravenclaw my second year and I continued to keep to myself. I met the Weasley twins in my second year as well and they became my best friends. In my fourth year, I met Harry Potter and his two best friends, Hermione and Ron. I much preferred Hermione but that was my own personal opinion. They managed to get themselves in plenty of trouble constantly."

"Still so proud of him," James said with playful pride, preening at the news of his trouble-making future son. Andy and Lily rolled their eyes at him.

"But wait, why did you start your second year?" Alaina asked curiously.

"I attended Beauxbatons for my first year but when the culture didn't suit me, Papa brought me back," Andy explained. "So long story short, a lot of stuff happened and during the summer before my sixth year, Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban and I, knowing he was innocent, sent him a sort of care package and beckoned him to come to Hogwarts. He did, and that was the beginning of our partnership. He was the one who helped me figure out that I was the child of Lord Voldemort and he didn't even blink twice at it. He was a wonderful man." Andy had whispered the last part, her voice cracking on the word 'was'. Sirius looked at her and was beginning to understand why she looked at him the way she did.

"So Andy and her group caught Pettigrew, who was hiding in his Animagus form inside Hogwarts, and forced a confession out of him in front of the Minister. Because of the overwhelming evidence and the use of Veritaserum, Sirius's name was cleared and he was a free man. He was named the new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, alongside his best friend Remus who was the professor of History of Magic, replacing Professor Binns," James told his best friends, grinning at them as they all had the same thought; the havoc they could wreak as professors. Andy rolled her eyes and smiled a bit.

"Yes, they were quite the mischievous professors. In fact, they taught me how to become an illegal Animagi just like they had taught themselves to be back in their glory days. It was their way from distracting me from the fact that my first boyfriend broke up with me when I told him the truth about my parentage. Of course, the fact that my Animagus form was a wolf meant that I was able to join Remus and Sirius on their monthly excursions," she said with a fond smile, thinking back to her initiation night into the pack. Remus looked pale and everyone but James, Lily, and Sev looked at him curiously.

"What monthly excursions?" Sirius asked in confusion before looking at his friend oddly. "Is it some sort of boys' night?"

"How did you know-?" Remus choked out, his already pale face looking positively paper white. Andy smiled gently at him and softly said, "Because I've known you for years, Moony. That was your nickname in my time, by the way. Sirius was Padfoot, James was Prongs, and Peter was Wormtail. That's how you referred to your Animagi. But of course, Remus isn't an illegal Animagus, because he physically can't be."

Remus swallowed heavy with all eyes on him as he managed to murmur, "When I was four, my dad had pissed off a lot of the werewolf packs. He called them dirty savages, see. So they came after me to teach him to keep him mouth shut. They weren't out to kill me though. Just scratched me up a bit and then bit me and… well you all know what happens after that."

"Oh Merlin," Marlene whispered, placing a hand on Remus' arm. "You aren't a dirty savage, Remus. That's horrible that they did that to you."

"Thanks, Mar," he said with a sad smile. Andy smiled gently at him once more and he relaxed as he realized that no one was looking at him with disgust or fear. His dad was wrong.

"That same summer was the summer of the Quidditch World Cup, Bulgaria versus Ireland, which we all attended. By we, I mean myself, Sirius, Remus, Harry, Hermione, and all of the Weasleys, pardoning the eldest three and Molly. That was the first time Sirius kissed me, right after Ireland won," she said wistfully. Sirius' eyes went wide and did rough math in his head.

"But if that was your seventh year, that would have been in 1994. You were seventeen and I would've been…" He used his fingers to calculate his own age. He finally yelped out, "Great Merlin, I would've been thirty-four! What the bloody hell was I thinking, kissing a child?"

"For crying out loud, calm down," she said with a raised voice, rolling her eyes at the melodramatic twelve-year-old. "My Sirius isn't you. My Sirius had a very different life that what you're already having. He was hardened and I was his only friend outside of Remus. He was also the only man who ever treated me like a woman and not a child. He knew very well what I was capable of and he knew to never underestimate me. We were the perfect team."

"He sounds perfect," Sirius said glumly as he slumped back in his chair. Andy's eyes welled up and her voice cracked as she said, "Yes, he certainly was."

"I'll do the next part," Sev said softly. He spent the most time with Andy and he had absorbed her story. In fact, he wrote it down. He intended to publish it to the Muggles once he tweaked it a bit so the Ministry wouldn't catch on. She nodded before leaning back against the pillows and look listlessly off into space. Sev patted her tiny hand before he picked up the ball and ran with it. "That night, Death Eaters attacked for the first time in years and in the midst of the chaos and terror, they managed to take Andy. Luckily for her, the Dark Lord hadn't counted on her really not wanting to dealing with him and she busted out of the second story window, nearly broke her leg, and Apparated to Hogwarts. She was patched up nice and dandy but the headmaster began to require her to take lessons to better defend herself the next time. Andy's seventh and final year of Hogwarts was topped off with the first Tri-Wizard Tournament that there hadn't been since decades ago. She, like so many of her other friends, entered her name just for fun but there was a twist. Someone cursed the Goblet of Fire so when the Choosing of the Champions came about, it gave four champions instead of three. Viktor Krum, Bulgarian quidditch star and Durmstrang student; Fleur Delacour, Andy's friend and a part-Veela from Beauxbatons; Andy, part time badass and full-time know-it-all; and Harry Potter, unprepared and under aged Gryffindor that was unable to avoid danger. And the first task was to fight a dragon, one dragon per champion."

"You fought a real dragon?" Alice asked, her voice full of excitement as she leaned forward, entranced by the story. Andy smirked as she relived that day.

"Oh, I didn't fight the dragon, I simply completed the task. I took home first place and all forty points as well, a perfect score," she said smugly. James rolled his eyes, used to his sister's ego about her accomplishments. But even Lily wasn't fully accustomed yet as she leaned forward just like the others as they all watched her closely. "We had to get one of the dragon's eggs, a very special golden egg that held the clue to help us prepare for the next challenge. I got mine in record time and all because of Remus. All he had to say was, 'You know dragons are just oversized serpents, right?' and I knew what to do."

"I don't get it?" Marlene asked, looking to see if anyone else got it. Emmeline rolled her eyes with a smile and said, "She's a descendant of Salazar Slytherin which means she's a Parseltongue. She can speak to snakes."

"Quite right, Em. I simply informed the dragon that the gold egg was a fake and I told her that I just wanted to remove it from her nest so she let me. In and out, without injury, in under a minute," she said proudly. The second challenge wasn't quite as fun but it was some serious soul searching. But of course, before the second challenge was the Yule Ball, which was a horrible night. I attended the dance with my Hufflepuff counterpart, Cedric Diggory, who turned out to be a good guy in the end but he was an ass that night. When I rejected him after he kissed me, he went off with another Ravenclaw that I despised and I found them, admittedly with a couple drinks in me. So I ran off and I passed out in the hallway but right before I passed out, I knew that alcohol alone couldn't have had that effect on me so I knew I had been drugged. When I woke up, I was tied to the castle wall, high above the courtyard, covered in open and bloody gashes. I sent out a distress signal to everyone I could think of when I heard it. His voice."

"You see, Lord Voldemort possessed another man's body so to speak so he could test his daughter," James explained to their small crowd of friends. "He was obviously impressed and he told her how to unlock the golden egg's clue, citing the fatherly need to see her succeed."

"What a d-" Amoria began hotly but the Headmaster gave her a playful smile with just enough firmness behind it that she knew better.

"Papa and the others got me safely to the Infirmary and patched me up real nice once more. Over sixty cuts and I was only left with three scars." She showed them the one of her arm, the one on her side, and the one along her collarbone. "I wore them as a reminder of what happens when you let your guard down. Regardless, his tip off had been correct and I passed the information on to the others. The day of the second challenge found us beside the lake in our swimming gear. Harry was the first out with his treasure, which was his best friend Ron. Fleur was the first and only one disqualified after she was attacked and incapacitated by a pack of particularly vicious Grindylows. Viktor was the next out with Hermione, as he had a ridiculously huge crush on her. And I made it out last but I had fended off the merpeople as I saved both Fleur's sister and Sirius, which was against the rules. I was awarded my second perfect score for my 'outstanding sportsmanlike attitude.' That same night though, Barty Crouch, who was the man who ran the games, was murdered in the Forbidden Forest. For added protection, I took Remus and Sirius into the Chamber with me and let Æthel out into the forest as a way of protecting our back so no one could get at anyone through the forest."

"Who is Æthel?" Dromeda asked curiously.

"Yeah, and what chamber?" Marlene asked with a quirked eyebrow. Andy sighed and looked at her brother with a half-smile. He dipped his head and picked it up.

"Before he died, Salazar Slytherin collected basilisks as pets and he formed a chamber deep below the castle that is accessible by his successors only. Only one basilisk, a female, was left by the time of his death. She has lived, hibernating, in the Chamber for a thousand years. She was given to Andy when she was sixteen and she officially named her Æthelinda," he explained. Em whistled lowly and looked over at Andy, impressed by her pet like a typical Slytherin. Andy smiled and rolled her eyes before James continued. "So anyways, it all went downhill the night of the final challenge which wasn't even until late June, 1995. That night, as the top two challengers, Harry and Andy were given a one-minute head start. She was in the maze-for that was the final challenge; a maze with the trophy at the center waiting for whoever got to it first-for maybe thirty or forty-five minutes when Harry came careening down one of the paths and nearly knocked her over. He kept running, dragging Andy with him and explaining that someone had cursed Viktor, one of the other contestants, right before he had gone in and he was after them. They reached the cup and took it together, as they were both Hogwarts students so regardless, the glory would go to the school. Yet, they made a mistake because, as with everything else with those stupid bloody challenges, the cup was tampered with and made into a Portkey."

"Good heavens, who managed to do all of that?" Cissy asked incredulously, looking blown away. "Hogwarts is impenetrable."

"Almost so but not to those with a convincing Polyjuice Potion and some good acting skills. A Death Eater had disguised himself as the Auror Alastor Moody and came to Hogwarts on request of my papa to protect myself and Harry, much to my discomfort," Andy explained, rolling her eyes at the Headmaster, who smiled self-indulgently. It may not have been him exactly that did it but it certainly did sound like something he would do.

"The Portkey took her and Harry from the maze to this creepy old graveyard where the dude who had been pretending to be Moody had revealed himself and was carrying the cursed body of Voldemort," Severus continued, looking to his audience as if they were his students and he was giving a lecture. Like a much kinder version of who he was in her time. "They had discovered a way to bring the Dark Lord back; bones of the father, flesh of the servant, blood of the enemy, and tears of the offspring. That third bit was what gave him the ability to touch Harry once he was back in his full body. He called all of his followers and then began to mentally torture Harry. But of course, Andy went and did the very Gryffindor thing of saving Harry and the second he was freed, he dove for the cup and was out of there, leaving a weak and exhausted Andy lying on the grass. Knowing her mental barriers would be weaker due to her assisting the boy and the boy's betrayal, the Dark Lord took his daughter away."

"So he kidnapped her?" Alice asked to clarify. Andy made a thoughtful face and tilted her hand back in forth.

"Yes and no, really. I was known for my temper and loyalty is a big deal with me. Because he timed it perfectly and used low doses of a Love Potion, he managed to convince me that my rightful place was by his side," she told them with a humorless smile. "You see, I was upset, tortured, by the fact that Harry would leave behind without a second glance so in my grief, I became angry and thought for a second that maybe it would be better to join the Dark Lord and he used that to get inside. I remained in a trance and as his puppet for four months before I figured out what was going on and managed to get a message to the Order. They rescued myself, and Draco, that night. You, Cissy, had already joined them after they made you realize that me being with the Dark Lord would destroy me, as well as your son."

"I sound like a good mum," she murmured with a sad smile. Andy reached to pat her hand as she smiled softly.

"You'll be a great mum regardless," Andy reassured her. She sat back and sighed. "After I was rescued was the first night Sirius and I accepted that we were in love with one another. We then spent a considerable amount of time irritating the Dark Lord by thwarting his Death Eaters at every turn. But things began to get worse and Papa needed to leave. He had to go to strengthen our alliances with the other magical creatures so he took Professor McGonagall and Auror Moody with him, meaning he had to instate a new Head of Hogwarts as well as Head of the Order."

"He chose you, didn't he," Alaina stated, looking up at her in awe. "But you would've been barely twenty!"

"Barely nineteen actually, I was declared Headmistress of Hogwarts and Head of the Order of the Phoenix only two months after my nineteenth birthday," she told them with a hint or so of pride. "I was the youngest Head of Hogwarts ever known and I also succeeded in getting the entire school to come together in perfect unity. I named Severus as my Deputy Headmaster and we led Hogwarts for seven months until Papa returned but he decided to retire, start up his own class, and just be a normal professor. He left Severus and I in charge, which shocked me half death. But then…"

"Things had been silent from ol' Voldemort since Christmas so they had all but forgotten about him," James said quickly, taking attention off his sister as her eyes began to tear up. "But see, Harry and the Dark Lord shared a certain bond due to what happened when Harry was a baby. He could see into Harry's mind and Harry could see into his, although he wasn't quite aware of it. When the Dark Lord figured that out, he began to place false images in his head. He made Harry believe that Sirius, the only family he had left, had been taken by Voldemort and was being held in the Ministry of Magic so Harry and his friends went there, thinking they could take on the Dark Lord and all his followers."

"How very Gryffindor," Cissy said with a playful roll of her eyes. James took the half-hearted insult with pride and positively beamed.

"I know, isn't he? So proud. But anyways," James said, shaking his head and returning to the story, "the Dark Lord had something he needed in the Department of Mysteries; the prophecy made about him and Harry. For some reason, Voldemort couldn't touch it but Harry could. So Harry rushed foolishly in without getting more capable back-up. Thankfully, one of the ghosts overheard their plans and reported to Andy immediately. She knew for a fact that Sirius had only just started his patrols and there was no way he was in the Department of Mysteries so she called all of the Order using their nifty tattoo thing and sent them all to the Department of Mysteries before she followed after them herself. She managed to find them in the middle of a massive battle, from which snake-face was thankfully absent, and she jumped right in. How many did you take out? Two?"

"Three, nearly four. I killed Yaxley before I chased Bellatrix," she replied back with a hollow voice. All of the ones who were new to the story looked at her in shock and a hint of horror. She sighed and looked at the blanket as she picked at the stitches. "I've killed six, maybe seven people in my life. That I remember, of course."

"Why? Why kill?" Alice asked, doing the best to keep the horror out of her voice. Andy sighed, thinking of the best way to explain it to them.

"I was hunted my entire life and I learned very quickly that the only thing that stops people as evil as Death Eaters is to kill them. If you don't, they keep coming for you. Some people would argue that their lives are still important despite how evil they are. My papa never agreed with killing, but he and I both knew that if I died because I wanted to pull some stupid Gryffindor stunt and just stun them, everything would be over," she explained to all of the children sitting around her because to her, that's what they were. She was twenty-seven and the oldest out of all of them was barely seventeen. She hated dragging them into her war but she needed them; she would apologize later. The Slytherins nodded in total understanding while the Gryffindors did their best to swallow their shock.

"What tattoo were you talking about, Potter?" Em asked James curiously. He thought about it for a moment before he explained.

"It's kind of like the Dark Mark. Professor Dumbledore magically tattooed all the members of the Order of the Phoenix so that there would no worries of a messenger being intercepted or whatnot. The tattoo was, obviously, a phoenix and when someone pressed their finger or wand to it, they could send images or messages through and everyone else with a tattoo would be able to receive it. The leader of the Order also had the ability to touch their tattoo and call the entire Order to counsel," he told her. Andy nodded and tugged her gown down ever so slightly to show them the Phoenix tattoo over her heart that had thankfully stayed with her through her journey. "This is what you guys will be getting once you decide."

"Decide what?" Remus asked, finally speaking once again.

"To help me or to not," Andy said simply before she looked at her brother. "Go ahead and finish the story."

"Right, so Andy was kicking some serious arse when all of a sudden, Professor Dumbledore entered the battle which distracted everyone. Unfortunately, Sirius had been dueling Bellarix and he became distracted as well. This gave Bellatrix the opportunity to…" James had to stop and swallow the pain that came up his throat. He couldn't imagine how Andy had felt but he knew he would've lost it if he had been in her place. "She shot a Killing Curse at Sirius and it landed…"

"Holy shit," Sirius cursed, his face going death white. He looked at Andy in shock to see her biting her lip and her entire body was shaking with sobs. The Headmaster had a hand on her shoulder while Lily had her arms around her waist.

"Yeah…" James whispered, wanting to cry out of pain from watching his sister hurt so badly. "So Andy snapped. She killed Yaxley and went after Bellatrix. She was out for blood this time because you see, Sirius had been her life and her heart. They were polar opposites but the same. They brought out the best in each other and she knew there was nothing left for her now. So she chased Bellatrix and began to choke her and right as she was about to hit her with a Killing Curse, the Dark Lord showed up so Andy poured all her hatred and anguish into that fight. She nearly killed him but she passed out from exhaustion. That's when Professor Dumbledore stepped in for her and she knew no more. She woke up in his office and he informed her that he had chased Voldemort off but it wasn't enough to make her feel better. So he put her back to sleep to calm her but when she woke up, she was in an alley."

"Wait, he dumped her in an alley?" Cissy asked in confusion. "How rude."

"No, she fell asleep in the Headmaster's office a nineteen-year-old on June the 18th, 1996 and she woke up a four-year-old on June the 18th, 1964," James explained. All of them looked at him with wide eyes.

"Yeah, he sent her back in time to try all over again, to fix the problem before it even becomes a problem," Lily told them as she kissed Andy's head and sat back down. "He was sure that if she came back, she could change things before so many lives were lost."

"He knew there was nothing left for me there," Andy murmured. "He was doing me a kindness, giving me a new life."

"Yes, so Andy showed up in my office and gave me the note I sent with her, so I would obviously recognize my own magical signature on the paper," the Headmaster stepped in. "One gift she had been given in her first life was a bracelet that had belonged to Dorea Potter, given to her by Harry Potter."

Andy held up her wrist so everyone could see the silver bracelet with the snake-and-lion charm, "Sirius was considered a second son of Dorea and Charlus Potter after they took him in and, as Harry told me, Potter men were known for being Gryffindors who married Slytherin women. That obvious skipped James so he never gave the bracelet to Lily and he kept it in the vault. Harry had fallen in love with a fellow Gryffindor as well but since Sirius was like James' brother and I was, by blood, a Slytherin, he gave it to me. He always supported our relationship more than anyone else."

"That bracelet was what gave me the idea to place her with the Potters," Professor Dumbledore continued on but Sirius could only look at the girl in front of him, his eyes wide as saucers. Was he really destined to be with her? What if he didn't love her? What if she wouldn't love him because he wasn't the right version of himself? Was she expecting him to fall in love with her? "They heard her whole story and agreed wholeheartedly that she was the perfect fit in their family, especially because she looked identical to Dorea. So she was taken in and "raised" by them for the past seven years. They trained her and gave her a foot up in the higher societies, which I believe was my plan all along when I sent her back."

"And now we're here," Andy finished as they all blinked at her. Marlene looked around at everyone before looking at Andy.

"So what happens now?" she asked the older girl. "You want us to fight for you?"

"Merlin, no," Andy said with wide eyes. "I want to train all of you so that way when the time comes, you _can_ fight. I'll teach you who to be on the lookout for, how to use nonverbal and wandless magic, how to Apparate and Disapparate, how to become Animagi, what curses and hexes are your best bets in a fight, and so on."

"Why?" Marlene pressed as she leaned forward. "Why those in particular?"

"Because if you know who your enemies will be before they even know themselves, you can gather more information about them. Nonverbal magic is a life-saver if you're trying to have the surprise advantage and wandless just in case your wand gets taken or you're caught without it. Apparating and Disapparating is the fastest mode of travel besides Portkeys and therefore essential for everyone regardless. Having an Animagus means you can eavesdrop on conversations because who pays attention to a stray cat, a bird, a dog? No one. As for the hexes and curses, Stunning won't do anything on these people except make them laugh at how weak you are. Drop them, make sure you can either be gone by the time they get back up or that they will never get up again. Those are your only options in war."

"War," Cissy whispered, looking at her hands. Andy nodded grimly.

"This isn't my first war so if you listen to me, practice the things I show you, you'll make it out of here just fine. I promise all of you that I will get all of us out of this or I will die trying," Andy promised them. Sirius didn't hesitate. He looked her deep in the eyes and saw the pain in them as she no doubt saw her Sirius' eyes instead of his, but that only furthered his resolve.

"I'm in." One by one, the others slowly voiced their agreement, following Sirius' lead. Andy smiled at them softly as she rested against the pillows.

"This won't be easy but in return, I will assist all of you with any assignments you fall short on in your classes," she promised them.

"And if that fails, I will give you notes excusing you from your work," the Headmaster told them as well. They looked around at each other before Amoria asked excitedly, "When do we start?"


	5. Lessons of Respect and Training Regimens

" **We'll dance to our own beat, won't sing to your melody  
We will not care if we're the only ones swimming in the sea  
Let do this all our own way  
Can't change the storm of a hurricane"**

 **-MisterWives; Hurricane**

 **Lessons of Respect and Training Regimens**

"So where are we going?" Marlene asked as the group of twelve followed their leader into the first floor girls' lavatory.

"To the Chamber," Andy answered, looking over her shoulder at them. "It's better hidden than anything else and there's absolutely no chance of anyone getting to us."

"Isn't that where…?" Alice whispered to Lily with big eyes but Lily hushed her. Andy went straight to the sink and commanded it to open. Sirius and Remus exchanged a wary glance while the Slytherins all grinned at each other with giddy excitement. When the chamber opened up, Andy smiled at the warm and welcoming flames that flickered on, revealing her staircase down. She smiled, remembering how shocked she had been when she first came back to the Chamber and it was dark and damp and disgusting, forgetting that she hadn't ever actually seen the Chamber before then. It took her a solid day to get it cleaned out once more and to reform Æthel's door to the forest, which the serpent was mighty pleased, albeit a little confused, about. The others looked around with raised eyebrows, none of them expecting the Chamber of Salazar Slytherin to be so warm and inviting, as they followed Andy down the spiraling steps. She led them through the winding tunnels and listened with an amused smirk as they all gasped in awe of the magnificent door to the Chamber.

" _Open,"_ she hissed in Parseltongue and they all watched as the gilded snake went round about the door, unlocking it. When it came to a seamless halt, the door silently swung open. Inside, torches made the shining black obsidian walkway sparkle and the crystal clear waters of the underground lake lapped gently at the edges of the walkway. The group followed behind Andy in silence as she walked right up to the giant, coiled serpent that was resting in the middle of the Chamber. The serpent raised her head with her first lids already closed, having sniffed the children her mistress brought with her.

" _Mistress has brought her friends?"_ Æthel asked her, her forked tongue flicking out to lick Andy's cheek. Andy smiled affectionately as she placed her hand on the serpent's nose.

" _Yes, my dear. The time has come, just as I told you when I first came to you,"_ Andy told her with a soft smile. The basilisk dipped her head before slowly uncoiling herself and heading for the chamber door. Alice yelped and jumped back, all of them moving closer to Andy as the snake slithered by. The Slytherins all watched in awe and amazement as the great companion of their founder slipped by them. They all reached their hands out and let their fingers glide along the dark emerald scales; Æthel even went so far as to gently touch Em's face with the tip of her tail, leaving the first year holding her cheek and looking as if she had just been blessed by Merlin himself. Andy laughed at her companion, knowing the basilisk now had an overwhelming ego due to all the attention. "Alright, so she will be taking up her post in the Forbidden Forest because some of the spells I will be teaching you are very dangerous and I don't want her to get hurt."

"She can be injured?" Remus asked incredulously. "She's practically immortal!"

"Well, she technically is. As long as I continue to put her into deep sleeps whenever she is unneeded, she will continue to live on. Already, she's a thousand years old, give or take a few years," Andy told them as she moved closer to the center of the room.

"So why'd you bring us down here?" Sirius asked, his arms folded as he looked at Andy with the most serious expression he had ever worn. For a split second, he looked like her Sirius but she shook it off.

"You lot need to train and this chamber is the best warded and most undetectable spot in Hogwarts," Andy explained as she began walking around and positioning them in a half circle. "I considered the Room of Requirement but I know for a fact that another little club already has it occupied plus no one can follow us here."

"What other little club?" Marlene asked her as she moved to put herself evenly between Alice and Lily. Andy opened her mouth but a ghostly pale Cissy was the one to answer.

"The Death Eaters. They have regular meetings on Thursday nights on the seventh floor," Cissy told them all. They looked at her in shock as she added, "Lucius has been trying to get me to attend but I have thankfully found an excuse for the past two weeks."

"From now on, tell him you have been required to tutor Severus, Em, and I every Tuesday and Thursday night for the rest of the year," Andy told her firmly, the gears in her mind whirring furiously. Lucius Malfoy was an issue she needed to settle immediately but she still wasn't quite sure how to do that. "I'll have Papa send you a letter at breakfast that says the same thing so he can't be suspicious."

"Thank you, Andy," Cissy said, unable to keep the depth of her gratitude out of her voice. Lucius hadn't always been so cruel and cold-hearted but she knew there was no going back to how he had been when they were but children.

"Alright, so what's first on the list?" James asked from his spot between Sirius and Remus, looking at his sister curiously. She hadn't shared her plans for training with any of them. Andy cleared her throat, as well as her head, and fell into Professor mode.

"The first lesson is on blocking because before you can shoot hexes and curses, you need to be able to stop the ones coming your way," she told them as she paced in front of them, her arms behind her back. "Dromeda, since you're the oldest then you already know the spell. Step forward, please."

"No problem," the girl said as she took a single step forward. Andy stopped fifteen feet away looking off in the distance. Without a single word, Andy flicked her finger and shot a Full Body-Bind curse right at her. Dromeda cursed and immediately threw up a shield, blocking the hex effectively. Andy grinned at her and the girl shot her an annoyed glare as she stepped back into line.

"See, you need to be ready for everything. Notice how Dromeda read my body language so, even though I didn't use a wand or say any spell, she still knew when I shot the hex thus rendering her able to block it without issue," Andy explained to them, back into her serious mode. "Your enemy isn't going to give you anything. You have to be alert and watching, and you have to know what to look for most of all. Most witches and wizards trained in the Dark Arts are capable of nonverbal as well as wandless spells but not usually both at the same time. That comes with enormous amounts of pure talent and practice."

"Way to talk yourself up," James said with a roll of his eyes. Andy raised an eyebrow at him and shot the same hex at him, hitting him square in the chest. He froze up and fell backwards, unable to move. She sauntered over to him, a grin planted firmly on her lips as she leaned over his prone body.

"What was that Jamie?" she taunted him. His eyes glared at her in mock anger and she reversed the hex, chuckling as she watched him shake off the effect.

"I really do hate you sometimes," he told her with a matching grin. He retook his place and Andy faced her students once more.

"Who's next?"

The new -or rather, newly formed- Order of the Phoenix practiced spellwork every Tuesday and Thursday night after dinner and spent Monday, Wednesday, and Friday working on homework and covering information on their enemies as well as their enemies' plans. They moved like a pack between classes which drew a good amount of attention but thankfully not the unpleasant kind, excluding the Slytherins and Peter Pettigrew. Peter shot them disdainful looks when he saw them and after he was told he was not able to attend their "study nights," he became even more irritated with all of them. The Slytherins found it disgraceful to see so many noble ladies (none of them really cared for Severus) fraternizing with the enemy and they often mentioned it to them in passing. Lucius became an even bigger problem as the weeks rolled by, constantly harassing Cissy and now Andy. The blonde haired fiend had somehow worked out that Andy was the ringleader of sorts and constantly sent her little notes and messengers that warned her of taking Cissy from him. Andy continued to roll her eyes at his pathetic threats but she knew something had to be done, she just didn't know what it was.

That is, until the night before they left for Christmas break.

The Order was leaving the Chamber and splitting up to go their separate ways. They had all received their tattoos that night after fighting with Andy, telling her how they wanted to be initiated sooner than their graduation years. They were walking out of the bathroom as they split up to go their separate ways when a hand caught Andy's wrist and she stopped. Sirius was looking at her intensely and the others took the cue to keep walking. Andy looked at him curiously as their friends rounded their corners and disappeared from sight.

"What's the matter, Sirius?' she asked him as he fidgeted nervously.

"I was just, uh… I was just wondering if you would, um…" he scratched the back of his neck as he looked down to hide his bright red cheeks. "I just wanted to see if you and James would, uh, like to come over during the break for a day or whatever."

Andy smiled at him and nodded as she said, "Yes, that sounds quite nice to me and we all know James certainly won't mind."

"Yeah, true," Sirius said with a chuckle, nervously scratching the back of his head. "So, um… yeah."

With that, he abruptly turned and awkwardly made his way in the same direction the rest of the lion cubs had gone. Andy laughed and shook her head at him when she suddenly felt a shot of panic shoot through her and she was dragged out of her own body.

 _Pale hands with slender fingers and soft pink fingernails fought and scratched a much larger body, a heavy hand covering her mouth. She uselessly tried to scream at the top of her lungs and kicked, her ankle-length dress getting caught up around her feet and rendering her legs nearly useless._

" _No one is coming to save you," a familiar voice hissed as her vision shifted and she was looking up at the portrait of Salazar and begging his for help with all her heart._

Andy took a deep breath and shook the vision off before running full speed towards the dungeons, her vision turning red as she interpreted the vision. She pressed her hand over her heart, sending out the message to the others; Lucius Malfoy dies tonight.

As she rounded the corner that led to the dungeon entrance, the scene was horrific. Narcissa was being pinned by magic now and her muffled screams and cries almost killed Andy. Her red-rimmed eyes met Andy's and she let out a deep breath, knowing she was saved. Andy flicked her wrist and the hulking mass of a teenage boy hit the stone wall so hard, dust fell from the ceiling and added gray to his hair. All the air in his lungs rushed out and he looked up in surprise, his unbuttoned trousers falling to his ankles right as Professor Dumbledore rounded the corner.

"Andy, I have been informed of the situation an-"

"No," she responded, her voice cold and detached. "You will take Narcissa to the Hospital Wing and I will take care of everything else."

"Andy… I must ask what you plan to do with Mr. Malfoy," he asked her cautiously as he rendered Narcissa unconscious, fixed her modesty, and levitated her to him. Andy looked at her papa with fierce, fiery eyes.

"He will be going home, Professor," she said quietly as she knocked the boy unconscious as well. "He will never be heard from again."

Dromeda busted into the Hospital Room with wide, terrified eyes, the rest of the Order behind her. Her sister appeared to be resting peacefully on one of the cots but she knew better. She ran to her bedside and skidded to a halt beside her. She dropped into the chair next to her bedside and stared at her, her expression lost and confused. This was her baby sister and she didn't protect her. She held her hand tightly as she hung her head, refusing to let anyone see her tears. The others gathered around the girl's bed, all in shock as they stared at her flawless face contorted with a frown and a couple of scratches.

"Where's Andy?" James asked quietly, sounding so loud in the silent infirmary. That's when everyone looked around expecting to see the girl there amoungst them but it was Lily who answered, her shocked face turning to horror.

"You all heard the message; Lucius dies tonight," she whispered. They all looked at each other with wide eyes, still unable to believe that cute little Andy was able to kill without blinking an eye no matter how many times she reminded them that she was incredibly older than all of them. They sat in the Infirmary for nearly two hours before Narcissa awoke and it was another hour before the Infirmary doors creaked open. All their heads snapped to see who it was and they all gasped loudly; striding through the doorway with her head held high was Andy. Her arms, face, and dress were splattered with blood and she looked as if she just fought a grizzly bear but her eyes were alight with a fire that none of them had seen before. She walked up to Cissy and looked her over with concerned eyes, searching for anything she could fix. She waved her hand slowly and healed the scratches on her face before nodding and taking a seat in a chair. They all stared at her with large eyes but it was Cissy who smiled at her and said, "Thank you so much, Andy."

"We protect family above all else," Andy said with a nod, shutting her eyes to regain some strength after her long night. They all looked at her silently, none of them really knowing what to say. It was ten minutes later before Marlene quietly asked, "What did you do?"

Andy sighed and opened her eyes, magically cleaning the blood off of herself and changing her ruined clothes before she said, "I took Lucius back to his home. I restrained Mister and Missus Malfoy and then proceeded to cut their only child upwards of forty or fifty time before finally cutting his throat. I then released them and told them that they are to only say that they pulled their boy out of Hogwarts and that he will be taking a step out of the social scene. They are under oath and unable to ever tell the truth. I also told them that France is very nice this time of year."

"Merlin help me," Alice said weakly as she turned and retched into the nearby trash can.

"How can we call ourselves better than them if we do what they do!" Remus yelled, looking equally as peaky. Andy sat up straight and glared heavily at him, making him shrink back. Her curls began to crackle as she felt herself become furious and they all were watching her with something akin to terror.

"Excuse me?' she asked in a low, quiet voice that scared them all half to death. She slowly stood and, even at her tiny four feet and nine inches, she made an impressive figure. "I am nothing like them. But I believe in justice. An eye for an eye. He has done the unspeakable and therefore I have as well. When we tried to use mercy and peace, believing every person is capable of remorse and deserving of forgiveness, we lost so much. Because the truth is that you have to fight fire with fire. If they are out to kill, so are we. I am not going to play any pity games this time around. I am here to make sure that they are eradicated and that we all survive this time. I thought I made that plenty clear but evidently not."

"We understand, Andy," Dromeda said solemnly as she met the girl's eyes. "You must understand that the Gryffindor children are not like us. They do not understand how the world really works."

"Hey," James protested, looking truly offended. He understood better than anyone else what needed to be done in order to stay alive and save their society from falling into hell.

"Not including you, Potter," Dromeda said with a half-hearted roll of her eyes. "I simply mean that the majority, if not all, Gryffindor children do not understand that killing those who have committed evil isn't a sin so much as a necessary evil."

"I am grateful for what you did," Cissy said quietly. Andy dipped her head to her and offered a soft smile before retaking her seat.

"Of course, Cissy." The rest of the first years kept glancing over at Andy with wary looks, as if they were seeing her for the first time, except for James and Severus. Sirius raked his eyes over the girl who sat slumped in the chair in pristine clothes and with perfectly clean skin yet he still saw the blood. But instead of feeling horror, he felt himself begin to understand the enigmatic girl even further. She did what she had to, when she had to, in order to protect the rest of them. She was laying down her life to make sure all of them even had a life to live and for that, he began to see the depths of her strength and the length she was willing to go to change their futures.

She looked up and her shining green eyes met his silver ones and they didn't break eye contact for nearly a solid minute. He could see the depth of her emotions; her regret over having to kill but also her fury that someone had hurt Cissy, her wariness of its effect on her soul but her willpower to do what needed to be done. And she saw that he understood, that he saw her, and she smiled at him.

They all rested whilst the Headmaster had the House Elves pack their trunks for them. In the afternoon, after a celebratory leaving breakfast, the mass exodus of students wound their way to Hogsmeade to board the train to take them home. The Order walked in one large group, huddled together to stay inside of Andy's bubble of warmth that she learned how to conjure. A small group of older Slytherins glanced at the group with shifty eyes, not wanting to be caught staring at Andy for too long out of fear of what she would do as they rushed passed them. They all remember her speech that morning before breakfast and it was not something Slytherin House was going to forget any time soon.

 _The whole of Slytheirn House wound their way out of their dorms and to the exit but the first Slytherin to reach it realized that it wouldn't open. They all looked at the third year in confusion but he shrugged his shoulders, not really understanding why the portrait would act like that. The packed common room began to buzz even louder as some of them began to panic, worried if they had been locked in, when they heard a dainty but assertive cough. Little by little, they began to turn and take notice of the short first year girl standing on one of the study tables, a group of seven behind her with unwavering expressions._

" _Did you lock the bloody portrait?" an irritated seventh year asked, shoving his way up to the table._

" _I did," she said without hesitation. The clamber of voices began again but were once again silenced by a look she gave them. The seventh year boy wasn't quelled though and grabbed her ankle, hissing at her._

" _Open the damn portrait, you scrawny piece of trash," he growled at her, his dark eyes glaring up at her. She hissed back and sent him flying across the room, landing unconscious in an armchair. The silence in the common room then was deafening. No part of the little first year girl looked dainty or vulnerable at all. The gathered students could see the torrents of her magic moving around her, twisting through her air like a breeze. Her shining eyes were bright like a fire and it burned holes through all of them. Despite her height, she suddenly looked like the tallest person in the world._

" _You will all listen to me," she commanded. Her voice was no louder than if she were talking to someone directly in front of her yet her voice reverberated through the common room. "My name is Andraste Philomela Slytherin-Potter. I am the last living descendant of the founder of our great House, Salazar Slytherin. Last night, one of our own attacked another one of our own. A Slytherin against Slytherin. Tell me, have you all lost your honor? Your pride? Have you all lost the things that make us the best House in Hogwarts?"_

 _The crowd shifted uncomfortably. Some of them ducked their heads, indicating their knowledge of what she spoke of. The majority of them looked about in confusion. What Slytherin would attack another Slytherin? Those who ducked their heads could feel her impenetrable gaze burning straight through them and they knew that she knew and that terrified them. Lucius had never returned to the dorm the previous night._

" _Lucius Malfoy will not be returning to Hogwarts, nor to England. Not now, not ever," she warned them as her eyes flicked across the group of students. "This is the beginning of this House cleaning itself up, from the inside out. No more will cowardice, unnecessary cruelty, bullying, or weakness be our defining characteristics to the other Houses. We will be as strong as Salazar Slytherin himself. And anyone who has an issue with that initiative would do well to not return after the break."_

 _The crowd's eyes slowly met her own. Little by little, the crowd began to nod in agreement. Those who had known of Lucius' actions made no movement, not even to raise their head, but Andy didn't care. She had already flagged them for possible threats later. She nodded back at them and Severus held his hand up to help her hop down. She led her group of seven to the portrait, the House members parting respectfully as they passed, and unlocked it. As one House, they filed out of the portrait and wound their way into the Great Hall together._

"You really did a number on them, Andy. Dad will get a kick out of knowing you have the whole House on a leash," James said with a giant grin as he struggled stepping through the high snow with his winter boots. Andy had no need to struggle, having walked the grounds hundreds of time to the point that her body, even in its tiny state, knew exactly how to walk to minimize her effort. They were one of the first groups out of the castle, knowing they would need to find one of the bigger compartments which are usually on the primarily-Slytherin car.

"I can't wait for Mum's face, honestly," Andy said with a grin. "That's going to be priceless."

"So when's the party?" Sophie asked curiously as they climbed aboard the train and made their way to the Slytherin car.

"I think Mum said it starts around six in the evening on New Year's Eve and lasts until about one or two in the morning of New Year's Day. Should be on the invitation at your house though," Andy told her with a shrug as they found one of the larger compartments and they squeezed into it. They took a minute to stack their trunks on the racks above the seats and under the seats. The twins sat their trunks on the floor underneath the window and sat on top of them. Andy, Severus, Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus took up one row while Em, Marlene, Alice, Dromeda, Cissy, and Sophie took up the second row. Em draped her legs over Marlene's lap so they could scoot closer and give the older girls some more room.

"I can't believe we're all going to get to go, my mum is going to be over the moon that I got an invite to the Potter New Year Party," Marlene said with a roll of her eyes, propping a magazine up on Em's legs.

"Same here, my mother has been dying to get in on the English noble society ever since we got here but she's only ever gotten a few invitations to smaller balls since she's a single mom and whatnot," Sophie said with a roll of her eyes.

"You'll love it but we all need to go shopping soon," Cissy said excitedly as she waved a booklet around. "This is a list of all the boutiques in London and yes, we will go to every single one until all ten of us have the perfect dress."

"How about around the 23rd so that we all have a couple days with our family before we go running off together again?" Amoria suggested as she flicked open a copy of Witch Weekly. The group murmured their agreement before they settled in for the long journey home. Dromeda and Andy played a magical version of a Muggle child's game called "hot potato" but they played with a small conjured ball of light that was piping hot and would legitimately burn their hands if they held it too long. They bounced it back and forth with magic, Cissy and Sophie occasionally helping out. The rest of the group hadn't yet learned how to use their wandless magic. Em let her head droop back against the wall of the train and quickly fell asleep as Marlene and Alice discussed the colors they had thought of wearing to the ball quietly. When Andy was too focused on her game of magical tennis/hot potato, Severus and Sirius swapped seats so that Severus and Remus could pour over one of Andy's alchemical texts she had brought with her from her previous life. Lily and James shared a conspiratorial grin as they watched Sirius settle in next to Andy with his copy of Quidditch Through the Ages. Andy didn't notice until much later, when Alaina called a ceasefire after Sophie accidentally hit her in the face with the light ball, that it was Sirius who was sitting beside her. Marlene, Alice, and Cissy had joined Em in the peaceful realm of dreams while Amoria was on to yet another copy of Witch Weekly and Alaina was petting Amiya, who had been curled up on her lap the entire time, with her eyes closed. Dromeda and Sophie held a whispered conversation with their heads close, and Lily and James were practicing trying to conjure the ball of light in their hands. Andy looked over at Sirius curiously but he just offered her a smile and went back to reading. She blinked a couple times and was slowly coming to the realization that the core personality of her Sirius had never changed so in essence, her Sirius was still this twelve-year-old Sirius and the only difference was appearance and a slightly more positive outlook on life.

And age.

Yet that didn't matter to her. She smiled to herself and let her head fall onto his shoulder as she drifted off to sleep, feeling at peace for a small moment in time.

 **Updated as of 03-05-2016**


	6. A Study of Bloodlines and Dresses

" **All these questions, they're for real like;**

 **Who would you live for?**

 **Who would you die for?**

 **And would you ever kill?"**

 **-twenty-one pilots; Ride**

When they got off the train, tugging their trunks behind them. Amiya wound her way through their legs and stopped in front of Mr. and Mrs. Potter who were waiting for their children eagerly. They were slightly surprised though when they saw their daughter leading a rather large group of children. Some of them were familiar to the Potters; Narcissa, Andromeda, and Sirius Black, the Greengrass twins, and young Emmeline Vance. The rest were unknown to them but they smiled at all of them anyways.

"Hello Mum, Dad," Andy greeted them as they stopped in front of the two adults. "I'd like you to meet our friends."

"This is Remus, Marlene, Lily, and Alice. They're all in Gryffindor with me," James told his parents, pointing to each friend in turn.

"This is Severus Snape, a first year like me, and Sophie LaLaurie, a fifth year, who are in Slytherin with me," Andy introduced the two of her friends that her parents didn't know yet. Mrs. Potter took to the way the Severus boy stood strongly like a little guardian behind her daughter and she beamed at him, to which he responded with his own shy smile.

"Well it is an absolute pleasure to meet all of you," Mr. Potter said with a large grin. "I assume we'll all be seeing you again before the break ends?"

"Yes sir," they all chorused together.

"Ah, Aunt Dorea. A pleasure to see you." Andy repressed a groan as she looked up at her cousin with a bright, polite smile.

"Hello, Walburga. How lovely to see you," Mrs. Potter responded with such perfectly faked familial love that it nearly fooled everyone in the group-except for the fact that Sirius had already informed them of how ridiculously insane his mother was.

"I was glad to hear your young Andraste made it into Slytherin. It felt like our bloodline was beginning to go downhill with all these Gryffindors," Walburga said haughtily, giving her son a disapproving look to which he rolled his eyes. She didn't notice though, because she was too busy fawning over Andy. "She truly will be what carries our House on, if she marries correctly of course."

"Well, thank Merlin we have time before that becomes an issue," Mr. Potter replied with barely hidden sarcasm that the woman still managed to not notice.

"Why, Charlus, it's never too early. Orion and I have already began looking at prospective matches for both Sirius and Regulus," she told them, absolutely flabbergasted at their "procrastination". "Of course, there is always the option of-"

"We can continue this conversation at the New Year's Ball, we must really be getting home. I'm sure Crystal will have dinner prepared by the time we get back," Mrs. Potter deflected professionally. Andy raised an eyebrow at her mum but didn't mention it as nobody else except for the older girls had noticed anything amiss. Walburga nodded sagely before she places claw-like hand on Sirius' shoulder and led him away.

"Sophie, darlin'. I thought we said you'd meet me ove- Oh! Mr. and Mrs. Potter, what a pleasure to meet you." Sophie's mum, Mrs. Rosaline Beauvais-LaLaurie, was a tall and slender woman with long and curly strawberry blonde hair and bright green eyes. It was then that they realized that Sophie must've taken after her father, who died when she was barely three, since Sophie had bright blue eyes and pin straight, chestnut hair that she always kept in a long braid over her shoulder. Mrs. LaLaurie beamed as she approached the group, her eyes on the Potters as she drew her daughter close to her in a one-armed hug.

"You must be Rosaline! I didn't get the chance to meet you the other week at Callidora's, how are you liking our English weather in comparison to the Southern United States?" Mrs. Potter asked, genuinely interested in the newcomer. As the two women spoke, the group attracted more people. Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass wandered over to find their two daughters and began speaking with Mr. Potter. The McKinnons and Em's dad joined them as well. Mr. and Mrs. Fawley, Alice's parents, didn't mingle as much as the other parents but they were known for their introverted attitudes. Remus' parents warily joined the them but relaxed when they saw how comfortable and easygoing their son was with his group of friends. Of course, Andy was most pleased when her favourite relative decided to come over and talk with the rest of them.

"Why, Andy. I never expected that you of all people would have friends." Andy grinned widely as she whipped around to see her cousin Druella smiling at her. "You with your shy personality and whatnot."

"Cousin Druella, it's lovely to see you," Andy said as she dipped her head to the older woman, fighting to hide her smile. The older woman dipped her head with a slight smirk as Andy gazed up at her. She had her platinum blonde hair twisted up in a simple bun and was dressed in light pink but she was still one of the most frightening people Andy had ever met next to her own adoptive mother.

"The girls and I must be getting home, Bella is bringing that repulsive man for dinner so we must get ready before they arrive," she told them, doing her best to not roll her eyes. She had not approved of Bellatrix's match to Rodolphus but her husband had and therefore her protests were unheard. Bella had used to be kind and sweet just like her sisters but that marriage ruined her. It was something they all knew but didn't speak of. Andy had yet to meet the woman who was her biological mother, being almost a decade younger than her, but she knew the New Year's Ball was her final chance before Bella became recruited by the Dark Lord.

"Of course, we'll see you on New Year's Eve," Andy said politely as she dipped her head in acknowledgment. Her cousin led Cissy and Dromeda away as Andy turned back to her parents.

"I believe it is time for us to get going, Andraste," her mother said with a bright smile on her face and Andy gave her a sheepish one, which immediately made Dorea's smile drop and a suspicious look replace her previously jovial expression. "Andraste."

"Mother, might I bring one of my friends home?" she asked the older woman with a small, guilty smile. Before her mother could ask, she transferred her mental images of the bruises on Severus when she first met him and how abused he had been. Dorea's eyes flicked over to the small boy who hadn't spoken much and stayed at Andy's side the entire time, and she sighed.

"Okay, dear," she said with a nod and a small smile. She moved her eyes to Severus who was turning slightly red. The rest of the group, save for James obviously, had filtered off with their parents so the two of them that remained already knew what was going on. Not everyone in the group was aware of what Severus went through at home so it was better that they had left before it got brought up. "Do you need anything from your house?"

"I-I don't…" he mumbled, unable to finish the sentence, but Dorea was able to understand what the boy meant. Her eyes lit up with a fire but she managed to contain it. She briskly pulled the boy up under her arm and left it draped over his shoulders.

"No matter, we have plenty of clothes. Come, let's get going or supper will be cold," their mum said in a firm voice and she began leading the five of them to the hidden exit back to the Muggle part of the train station. Of course, not before they heard a very indignant voice say, "Where on earth do you think you are going with my son?"

Mr. Potter surprisingly cursed under his breath, making his two children look at him in shock, as Mrs. Potter froze. Now, to anyone who didn't know her, they would assume she was just pausing. To those who did know her, as in her family that stood behind her, the silent rage she exuded was nearly tangible. The woman slowly turned and stared down the raggedy, dark-haired woman who looked as though she had seen better days. Andy's eyes widened as she looked between Severus' mother and her own and for a split second, she accepted the fact that her mother was probably about to kill the other woman right there. Her mum drew herself up to her full height and kept Severus pulled in close to her as she coolly replied, "Oh I'm sorry, I was under the impression that this boy had no parents from the lack of care he seemed to be suffering from."

"He very well does have parents and I don't know what sort of lies he's tried to fill your head with but you better give him back right this instant," the smaller, younger woman hissed. So she clearly was unintelligent, since she couldn't sense the clear and present danger she was putting herself in. Their mum raised an eyebrow at the woman before she glanced back down at the shaking, anxious boy clinging to her side.

"Mrs. Snape, were you aware that under Wizarding law, the abuse of a child is worthy of up to ten years of incarceration in Azkaban?" she said in a tone that reminded Andy of the frigid winter wind, the kind that whipped her hair all around and stung her skin and eyes. Not even their dad could stop this now; Mrs. Snape had brought this upon herself. The small woman looked as if she had been slapped before she hissed at their mum.

"You wouldn't-"

"I would, I could, and I am going to," their mum said firmly, cutting the other woman off. "Your son is in protective custody as of this second and you can expect officials on your doorstep bright and early tomorrow morning. Good evening, Mrs. Snape."

When they reached the outside of the large train station, James whooped and punched the air excitedly as he ran up to his mum, grabbing the hand that wasn't holding Severus'. He swung it back and forth as he gushed about how cool she had been. Their mum rolled her eyes at him indulgently while all the time shooting their latest addition to the household little smiles and squeezing his shoulder in a comforting manner. Andy walked alongside her father, both of them watching the scene in front of them with amused smirks, when her father said, "You know, it makes me happy to see your mum this way."

"What do you mean?" she asked him, looking up at him as they made their way to the back, deserted parking lot behind the station where they would be able to safely Apparate back home.

"She was never supposed to be able to have children, you know," he told her quietly, his hazel eyes fixed intently on his wife's back as she interacted with the two boys. "And when we were told she was pregnant with James, we were thrilled yet we were also terrified. We knew the danger of having children this late in our years yet we braved it. She braved it. And we were given our precious little boy for that and I thank any deity that may exist that I am able to wake up every morning and know that there is a little boy out there that calls me Dad." Andy looked up at him with wide eyes; this was the first she had ever heard anyone in their society speak of gods and goddesses, a topic of which was most highly taboo. But the man continued on. "And then only four short years later, I watched that same joy spark in her all over again when we were given yet another child, albeit by different circumstances. And we have raised you and loved you as if Dorea had truly given birth to you. And now there is a third child and I no longer doubt the existence of something higher than us mortals, for we have been truly and unconditionally blessed."

Andy was silent, not saying a word as she contemplated what he had told her. She knew she was going to change a lot when she realized what she was here to do but still, she got the feeling sometimes that she was possibly changing too much. Yet, regardless of this, she could bring herself to regret it because of the content, awed look on her adoptive father's face. She merely smiled to herself and Disapparated on her own back to the manor, looking forward to spending the break with the ones she loved.

Once they all convinced their parents that a trip to London was not dangerous at all and even swore to meet with the Potters, Mrs. LaLaurie, and Mrs. Evans at noon for lunch and to check in, the group settled on meeting at the Leaky Caldron at nine in the morning before they ventured into Muggle London for dress shopping. The boys were simply tagging along to pick up Christmas presents that they had forgotten or left 'til last minute.

Andy, James, and Severus were woken by Crystal at seven to give them all ample time to wake up, get ready, and eat some breakfast before they headed out to meet the others. Andy got to shower first because both boys had stayed up ridiculously late the night before arguing the uses of Unforgiveable Curses and Unbreakable Vows in law enforcement. Andy had rolled her eyes, perfectly able to hear their loud voices through the wall, as she read a few pages out of one of her alchemy texts like she did almost every night before bed. When she had gotten dressed and was about to brush her teeth, the door of the bathroom that led to James and Sev's room opened to show a very exhausted James.

"Why is sleep necessary?" he grumbled as he padded into the still steamy bathroom. Andy rolled her eyes at him as she rinsed her mouth out with water and left him to take his shower. She had decided on an outfit of white tights, a black and white polka dot pleated skirt, a red knit sweater, her black Mary Janes, and her matching black scarf and beret. Muggle enough but also cute enough that anyone who recognized her wouldn't think anything of it. She sighed and pulled at the slightly itchy sweater as she made her way downstairs for breakfast. Her mother and father were already at the table, her mother with her copy of a Muggle newspaper and her father with the Daily Prophet, as per usual. They both looked up and gave her soft smiles as she joined them.

"Where's Severus and your brother?" Mum asked as she took a sip of her coffee with a raised eyebrow.

"They stayed up entirely too late last night and are currently trying to wake themselves up," she told her with a shrug as she spread strawberry jam on two triangles of toast. Dad snorted and rolled his eyes, earning him a sharp look for her mum before the woman also rolled her eyes and returned her gaze back to the newspaper she was holding.

"Well they had better hurry if they want any breakfast, or we will simply leave them behind," the older woman said sternly. Andy grinned widely but it was not a minute later when the two boys came rushing down the stairs, their hair still dripping wet although James appeared to have tried to towel dry his. Andy flicked her pointer finger and automatically dried their hair for them. They both shot her grateful looks as they collapsed into the dining room chairs and began piling their plates with eggs and sausages, barely managing a muffled "good morning" as they stuffed their faces. Mum, Dad, and Andy looked at the two boys with shock, amusement, and exasperated disgust. Andy finished off her cup of tea before she looked over at her father and he nodded.

"Come on, you idiots. It's time we get going," Andy told them as she stood up and made her way to their fireplace. The two boys hurriedly shoved another bite of eggs into their mouths, grabbed a sausage each, and then joined her. Crystal passed each of them their winter coats, Sev looking absolutely surprised that there was one for him but he didn't mention it. He just blushed under the bright smile Mrs. Potter was giving him and just studied the black shoes James had lent him as he slipped the coat on. One by one, Andy going first, they Flooed to the Leaky Caldron where they were meeting with the others.

"Andy!" Cissy said excitedly as she bounced over to the girl to hug her tightly. Andy grinned and moved out of the way so the two boys could follow. She scanned the group and saw they were only missing Sirius and then they would be good to go.

"Ugh, bloody hell. I absolutely hate having to use the Floo Network," James grumbled as he moved forward to stand beside her, Severus appearing a moment later. They mingled for a moment until they heard a noise from the fireplace and turned to see Sirius standing there but he was not alone.

"My darling mother made me bring him along," Sirius said with a grumpy tone of voice, gesturing to the slightly smaller boy beside him. Andy smiled brightly as she realized it was little Regulus Black.

"Oh hush, it's no problem," Andy admonished him before she held her hand out to the little boy and said, "My name is Andy Potter, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Regulus, shocked at being treated like an adult by his brother's friends, shook her hand and said, "Regulus Black, it's a pleasure to meet you as well."

Sirius watched the two, shocked that Andy was treating his git of a little brother like he was just another of their friends, but his thoughts were interrupted by Marlene asking, "Okay so can we go now, or…?"

"Yeah, let's get going or we'll never find what we need," Dromeda said with a nod before leading the group outside.

"Will you be attending the ball with your family, Regulus?" Andy asked him curiously, although she already knew. She had helped her mum send out the invites the other day. Regulus nodded, looking at the girl warily.

"I am, that's why Mother sent me with Sirius," he told her quietly. He was unsure how to react to her being so nice to him but so far, she seemed genuine. Andy nodded understandingly as the girls turned into a large dress shop whilst the boys planned on going a little farther down to a department store to look for gifts. They looked at Regulus but Andy waved them on, giving the younger boy a knowing smile.

"I don't think you want to be stuck with your brother all day," she told him with a shrug as he followed her into the dress store. He nodded vigorously; his older brother had become much more distant and rude since he left for Hogwarts. "Well then, we're going to be needing your opinion on these dresses. We have to know what looks good, after all."

"Oh, okay," the eleven-year-old boy stuttered, giving her a shy smile. She Led him through the many racks of dresses until they reached the section with dresses for young girls. His eyes went wide at all the colors and styles, the different uses of frills and bows, and was suddenly grateful that he was a boy. They picked their way through the racks, both of them wrinkling their noses at the especially over-the-top ensembles. Regulus got more comfortable with her as he began to give her advice on certain dresses she as iffy about; some were to short, some were too long, some would make her look frumpy, pink was definitely not her color, etc. In the end, she was left holding three dresses and he ushered her into the changing room so he could see if they would fit her right. A few of the girls from their group were standing outside the dressing rooms and introduced themselves to him; a tall girl named Sophie, a set of twins named Alaina and Amoria, and, shockingly, a Muggleborn named Lily. The other girls were in the dressing rooms, taking up all six of them. A girl named Marlene, who was pointed out by a very helpful Lily, flounced out of the dressing room, happy with her choice of a dark red gown that none of them got to see on her. Narcissa, whom he already knew, showed them the gorgeous emerald and silver ball gown that she had chosen. It perfectly accented her light complexion and tiny waist, making her look as regal as a princess. Dromeda decided on a very simple cherry red gown with a white belt of white fabric around her waist that formed a bow at her back. Alice was unlucky and sadly returned her dresses to their respective racks. Andy settled on a crystal blue and white gown after she decided on simply putting her hair up in an elaborate updo to show off the gorgeous straps of the dress; they were covered in what looked like really diamonds and reflected every ray of light into a rainbow. The jewels flowed down the straps and slowly lessened until the jewels stopped completely at her waist, giving the dress a stunning gradient look. Regulus' jaw dropped; the dress had not looked that elegant on the hanger. He could see why his mother already had Andy in her sights; she was perfect, even only at eleven. She had a look about her that screamed she was much older than she initially appeared.

"What do you think, Reg?" she asked him, already adopting his childhood nickname that Sirius used to call him before he became a Gryffindor. He nodded vigorously and she grinned, appreciating his enthusiasm. "Perfect, because this is the only one that fit."

"Nothing else will be good enough now," he told her simply but so sincerely that she blushed a bit at his kind words. She slipped back into the dressing room to change out of the gown and back into her regular clothes as the other girls piled into the recently vacated dressing rooms. Amoria had been dead set on a light pink gown but once she tried it on, Regulus vehemently disagreed and politely informed her that it washed her out. She looked absolutely aghast at that but he comforted her by telling her to try the light blue gown she had brought into the room as well. She did as was instructed, still bummed about not being able to wear the dress since she thought it was perfect. But when she stepped out of the dressing room, she was reward with bright smiles and nods—the most earnest of those from Baby Black. As she examined her reflection on a powder blue gown that subtly hinted at her curvaceous figure by being form-fitting but not enough that it was improper of her. She had to admit that the kid had some great taste and he therefore earned an approving smile from the older girl. Andy had her arm slung over his shoulder and he glanced over at her face to see that she was watching the other girls parading in front of them in the dresses, a small amused smile flickering on the edge of her lips. He didn't understand this group. They were a group of just Gryffindors and Slytherins but they were more like… a _family._ One he had been welcomed into with open arms.

He smiled for the rest of that day.

Miles away, inside the Ministry of Magic, Mrs. Dorea Vulpecula Potter was striding through the great halls and all those who saw her dove out of her way. This was a woman on a mission and no one wanted to be on the receiving end of the infamous glare all the Black women had inherited. She was making her way to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement because, as she had promised Mrs. Eileen Snape, no one was ever going to hurt young Severus again.

Mister and Missus Snape had been taken into custody for questioning the previous day but today was the day Dorea gave her testament to a small group of only senior Wizengamot officials. She would be able to recount not only the abuse she was able to see with her own eyes but also memories that Andy and Severus had given her. She was livid every second that she had to watch the way that poor boy suffers, the way he looked almost confused every time they were nice to him. She wanted to throttle that awful woman and her husband but she was determined to remain calm and collected.

"Dorea." The familiar gruff voice made her look to her left with a surprised smile. Sure enough, there was Alastor Moody. He was younger than her by three years but they had been good friends during their time together at Hogwarts. "What brings you here?"

"Hello there, Alastor," she greeted him with a smile and a polite dip of her head as she slowed her pace. "I am on my way to a meeting concerning a child, a friend of Andy and James'."

"The Snape case?" he asked gruffly with a raised eyebrow. She looked at him in surprise and he explained. "The horrid woman has been yelling through the entire department about you for the past two days."

"Good," Dorea said coolly, trying to refrain from narrowing her eyes. Alastor snorted at his friend's tone, knowing she was thrilled that she had gotten under the vile woman's skin. They began to be able to hear the screeching and angry yells as they approached a particular office. She raised an eyebrow at Alastor but he merely opened the door and showed her in. She resisted the urge to use a Silencing charm but she didn't even need to; her presence was enough. Mrs. Snape fell deadly silent as Dorea strode in and greeted the haggard looking men seated in a half circle facing two chairs. Mrs. Snape was in one so Dorea assumed the second was for her and she took her seat.

"Mrs. Potter, thank you for coming. I assume we may now proceed," a woman in Wizengamot robes said as she looked at her colleagues who all nodded at her. "Mrs. Eileen Snape, you have been summoned by this preliminary trial of the Wizengamot for the allegations of child abuse towards your son, Mrs. Severus Snape, as brought to our attention by Mrs. Dorea Potter. How do you intend to plead?"

"Not guilty," Mrs. Snape hissed, and it was then that Dorea realized the woman was restrained by thick leather straps around her wrists and ankles. The group of five officials nodded as if they had expected this and all scribbled something down really quick before the woman who had first spoken, a Ms. Rosalind Travers, spoke once more.

"We will now see your evidence, Mrs. Potter," she told the older woman. Dorea dipped her head and stood from her seat to place five vials of memories and the x-ray photos she had taken the boy to have done the previous day.

"Two of those memories are my own, which you can see have not been tampered with and show the boy's own confessions. Two of them belong to him, showing what happened to him. And one is my daughter's, Andraste Potter, that shows her discussing it with the boy. I have also included the x-rays done on the boy showing numerous past injuries that went untreated, showing further negligence," Dorea told them as she sat back in her seat. "Mrs. Snape never laid a hand on the boy but she allowed her husband to violently beat him almost every day and refused to help the boy whatsoever."

"Thank you, Mrs. Potter. We shall take a short recess so we might observe these memories. We will reconvene in ten minutes," Ms. Travers told her with a dip of her head as the five officials filed out. Three Aurors, including Alastor, stayed to watch the two women.

"You have no right to interfere, _Black,_ " Mrs. Snape spat at the older woman, earning her an icy glare and a raised brow.

"It's Potter, you imbecile. Also, I have every right. No child deserves to be harmed," Dorea responded as calmly as possible. Before the horrid woman could ever shot back a response, an Auror busted into the large meeting room with a panicked expression.

"A large group of children, mainly pureblood heirs and heiresses, are under attack in London!"

Dorea Apparated out of the Ministry, effectively breaking the charm on the building as she hurried to her children's aid.

Andy ducked behind a statue to avoid a jet of purple light and she hissed at how close it came to hitting her cheek. She whipped back around and nonverbally shot hex after curse after jinx at their attackers which drew significant attention to herself, allowing her to also throw up a quick Shield between the younger members and the Death Eaters. She allowed the adults, Dromeda, Cissy, and Sophie to continue to fight without restraint. There had been a group of twelve Death Eaters and with three of them down for the count, only four of them were paying any attention to the others in her group. The other five were focused solely on the eleven-year-old girl who, shockingly, behaved and held herself as someone much older than what she was. They were terrified at the raw power the girl was exuding but also at the precision and training that she possessed but they knew better than to back down.

Andy glanced over at the others to see how they were faring only to notice that one of the Death Eaters was creeping up on the Black sisters who were too busy tag teaming another Death Eater. Without thinking, she shot her hand out and struck the Death Eater down with a Killing Curse. The sisters Stunned the one they were fighting and shot her a grateful nod over their shoulders. With four of their comrades down, the Death Eaters realized they were outmatched and deemed it best to retreat. Almost on cue, the remaining eight of them Disapparated and left the group of witches and wizards in the middle of the destroyed Muggle street of London. Right as the last Death Eater Disapparated, there were several loud _crack_ s and the group was surrounded by Aurors. Andy hadn't noticed when her Mum had joined the fight alongside her Dad but they were all safe. Andy looked over the younger members and was pleased to see that her Shield charm had held perfectly, even against wayward curses. But of course, that was precisely when all hell broke loose.

"Andraste Philomela Potter! What in the name of Merlin do you think you were doing?!" Andy sighed and turned to face the raging emotional hurricane that was her mother. "Why did you not leave the fighting up to your father and the older girls?"

Andy shot her mum an exasperated look and Dorea had to remind herself that in front of her wasn't an eleven-year-old child but a twenty-seven-year-old adult, already more battle worn than most adults. "Yes mum, I'll just let them get slaughtered then."

Dorea huffed and wrapped her arm around Andy's shoulders protectively as they made their way back to the rest of the group; all of them that had fought were being interrogated thoroughly. When the two females approached them, the Aurors turned to face them with varying expressions. Some were shocked, some were disbelieving, some were distrustful, but Andy noticed only one; an older Auror who wore a knowing look. She looked at him with shock, her jaw almost hitting the ground. "Alastor?"

"Nice to meet you at last, Ms. Potter," the gruff man responded as Dorea pinched her daughter for being so obvious but in her defense, it had been a long day. "I understand you handled most of this on your own?"

"Yes sir. Two are dead and the other two are Stunned," she reported, just like they used to have to do in the Order. He may not have been the leader but Alastor was head of all fighting and was strict on reports. The man nodded before instructing the other Aurors to escort the two Stunned Death Eaters to holding cells in Azkaban and to send back more wizards to collect the bodies of the two fallen Death Eaters. Thankfully, the part of London they were in was usually deserted so there were only five Muggles that needed to be Obliviated.

"Albus informed me of your… abilities. Good work out there today," Alastor told the young girl as they stood side by side and watched her mum check over everyone and make sure they were all unharmed.

"I've had years to practice," she told him lowly, her eyes darkening in anger as she eyes the two lifeless bodies. She stalked up to them and flicked her wrist, disintegrating their masks so she could see who they were. "Rafferty Lestrange and Antonin Dolohov."

"Unsurprising. Those two have been a menace for years," Alastor grumbled as he came up beside her. She remembered Antonin Dolohov; he had been the one to kill Fred and George's namesakes, Fabian and Gideon Prewett. He had caused her plenty of trouble in her past and she was glad the bastard was dead before he could hurt anyone else. That now made three Death Eaters who had a hand in the coming war out of contention.

"Can't say I'm sad to see them go," she commented with a shrug as she stood. "I should be returning now, it's been good to see you again."

He couldn't help the bemused look that crossed his face because even if he understood that she had met him before, it still shocked him that it was possible. "Yes, Miss Potter, it has been nice to meet you. Although I must warn you that I may need you to come in and give a more official statement."

She then dipped her head politely and made her way to her parents and her brother, and the large group of children made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron to Floo home, leaving Alastor Moody standing there and looking at the handiwork of an eleven-year-old as he shook his head.

"We lost Dolohov and Lestrange Sr., m'lord." Rookwood reported attempting to not look the Dark Lord in the face as he gave him the news. "Travers and Macnair were captured."

"How," the terrifying man before him hissed. His black hair curled around his sharp jawline and cheekbones, accenting his deathly pale skin and emerald eyes that were laced with crimson. Rookwood took a deep breath and steeled himself for the inevitable Cruciatus that would soon be coming his way.

"When we went to attack the group, just as we were instructed to do, there was someone with them we didn't expect. She's only a first year but…" Rookwood hesitated and swallowed heavily. "She killed two of our men without blinking, sir. She even killed Dolohov without a wand or a single word. She was powerful. _Too_ powerful."

The Dark Lord didn't speak for a long moment. "What House is she in?"

"Slytherin, m'lord."

"Sir, I think I may have a clue," Luther Goyle said, piping up from the middle of the table. Having known the Dark Lord longer than Rookwood, he didn't flinch when those terrifying eyes locked with his own. "A week ago, my son reported that Lucius Malfoy was going to attempt to put Narcissa Black in, for lack of a better term, her place. That same night, he never came back to the dormitory and the next day, it was said he was pulled from Hogwarts and then his family disappeared."

"Where are you going with this, Goyle?" the Dark Lord drawled lazily but the threat was clear.

"The morning after, it had been a first year girl who told the entire House that Lucius had done something reprehensible and wouldn't be returning because of it. She threatened the entire House and from what the boys have said, she has them all under her thumb," Goyle explained before leaning closer, his eyes turning wary. "It was a girl who introduced herself as Andraste Philomela Slytherin-Potter."

The dark man hissed in shock. It was impossible. She couldn't possibly be of the line of Slytherin because he was the last living heir. "Bellatrix, bring me your family's copy of Nature's Nobility, this instant!"

The young girl, barely eighteen, rushed to do the bidding of her Lord. The tense silence in the meeting room carried on for ten minutes until Bellatrix returned with the large tome and gave it to the Dark Lord with reverent eyes. He snatched it from her and hastily flipped through the pages until he found the one he was looking for: the Slytherin bloodline.

His own name was toward the very bottom but then he saw something that both confused him and intrigued him; a line connecting his name to Bellatrix's with a line between that leading down to a name below his. Andraste Philomela Slytherin-Potter (formerly Slytherin-Dumbledore, formerly Slytherin-Riddle, formerly Riddle-Lestrange, formerly Lestrange).

Her date of birth was listed as the 31st of October, 1976.

The Dark Lord smirked to himself. Dumbledore did indeed have a few tricks up his sleeve, didn't he?


End file.
